Aum Russians planned to spring Asahara

Japan Today/December 7, 2001

Vladivostok, Russia -- A group of Russian followers of Japan's Aum Shinrikyo cult had prepared a hideout in the Russian Far East for Aum leader Shoko Asahara as part of an aborted plan to rescue the Aum guru from Japanese jail by launching a terrorist attack in Japan, according to court testimony Thursday.

Four Aum Russian followers admitted at the opening hearing of their trial in Vladivostok on Wednesday that they planned to set off bombs near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo as well as in Sapporo and Aomori as part of their plan to get Asahara out of jail.