The Tokyo High Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara, increasing the likelihood the guru's death sentence for masterminding the deadly 1995 gassing of the Tokyo subway system and other murders will stand without further sessions.
After effectively giving Asahara's counsel extra time to submit appeal documents after they "missed" last August's deadline because of what they claimed was an inability to communicate with the babbling guru, the court decided Monday the foot-dragging had to come to an end and said there was no excuse for the delay. It also reiterated its position that Asahara is mentally competent to stand trial, based on the diagnosis of a court-appointed psychiatrist.
The Tokyo District Court sentenced Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, to death in February 2004. His lawyers have been saying he is too mentally ill to stand his appeals trial and take responsibility for his crimes.