Japan executes sarin attack cult members: media

AFP  |  Tokyo 

There was no immediate official confirmation.

Today's executions come after authorities hanged "guru" and six of his one-time followers earlier this month, after years on death row.

Those executions left six remaining members on death row.

is one of the few developed nations to retain the death penalty, and public support for it remains high despite international criticism.

The Aum's 1995 attack on the subway during rush hour killed 13 people and injured thousands more.

It plunged the massive capital into chaos, and prompted a crackdown on the cult's headquarters in the foothills of Mount Fuji, where authorities discovered a plant capable of producing enough to kill millions.

members have been convicted of an additional sarin attack in the town of the year before the attack, as well as the murder of an and his family.

Despite the crackdown on the Aum, it was never formally banned.

It officially disowned Asahara in 2000 and renamed itself Aleph, but experts say the former guru retained a strong influence before his execution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, July 26 2018. 06:40 IST