The Tokyo District Court has tentatively set Feb. 27 as the day it will hand down a ruling in the trial of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara, who is charged with mass murder for ordering two deadly nerve gas attacks and other heinous crimes.
Public prosecutors, who have demanded the death penalty, and Asahara's state-appointed lawyers are expected to agree to the date. The ruling would bring to a close Asahara's nearly eight-year district court trial, which began April 24, 1996.
The date of the ruling will officially be set after the final defense plea in October.