High court upholds death for ex-Aum member

Kyodo News/May 19, 2003

Tokyo -- The Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court ruling Monday and sentenced former Aum member Masato Yokoyama to death for murder and other charges in connection with the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack that killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000.

According to the Tokyo District Court ruling in September 1999, Yokoyama, 39, conspired with Aum Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, and released sarin gas in a Tokyo subway train March 20, 1995.