Prosecutors demanded life in prison Wednesday for a former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive accused of chauffeuring one of the cultists accused of releasing sarin in the deadly Tokyo subway gas attack of March 1995.
In a statement read before the Tokyo District Court, prosecutors said Koichi Kitamura, 31, actively played a part in indiscriminately murdering 12 people and injuring thousands of others in the subway because of his belief in the cult's self-righteous doctrine, and should thus be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Prosecutors said during Wednesday's session that because Kitamura's behavior indicated no signs of regret, there is no reason for leniency. Kitamura sat straight and motionless in his chair, staring straight ahead as the prosecutors made their 3 1/2 -hour statement.