Death penalty sought for Aum man over subway attack

May 31, 1999

TOKYO, May 31, 1999 (Kyodo) -- Prosecutors Monday demanded the death penalty for AUM Shinrikyo cult member Masato Yokoyama accused of murder and attempted murder in the 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack.

Yokoyama, 35, is one of many current and former AUM members accused of launching the sarin nerve gas attack against the subway system March 20, 1995.

It was the first time prosecutors sought the death penalty for current or former AUM members in the Tokyo subway gassing, which left 12 people dead and more than 5,300 injured.