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News Shoko Asahara and 6 other Aum followers hanged

thomas

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14 Mar 2002
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After more than two decades of detention and twelve years on death row, Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara and six other condemned Aum members were executed today at the Tokyo Detention House in Katsushika.

asahara-1995.jpg

Asahara in 1995 (photo credit: Kyodo)

Aum Shinrikyo guru Shoko Asahara and six other cult members hanged for mass murders: officials | The Japan Times

Aum founder Matsumoto, top disciples hanged for sarin attacks:The Asahi Shimbun

Asahara unresponsive to calls from guards, but could walk, eat on own before execution - The Mainichi

Here's our article on Aum Shinrikyo:

Aum Shinrikyo | Japan Forum

 
I wonder if he went out mumbling like he did in his court hearings.
They did hang him, right?
 
For some reason I thought they had executed him much earlier. Was the delay for ensuring some kind of due process (an appeal is mentioned in the JREF article mentioned above, which is quite informative), or is removing the certainty of knowing your execution date a part of the death penalty punishment in Japan?
 
I think it's pretty common for death row to take a long time. In the US they sit there about 15 years. Exonerations usually come through around 11-12 years, so it's partly related to "give it time to be absolutely sure". Still, pretty long in his case.
 
I actually didn't know there were more to be hung. But good that it may be a healing process for those that have suffered.
 
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