Toyko, Japan - The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday rejected a 9 million yen damages lawsuit filed by the family of convicted AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara over restrictions on their visits to him, saying the restrictions were not illegal.
Family members filed the suit, saying that a Tokyo High Court judge and Tokyo detention center guards were unfairly limiting their visits to Asahara, who was sentenced to death for various crimes including the cult's deadly gassing of Tokyo subways in 1995.
In rejecting the suit, Presiding Judge Atsuo Nagano said officials were acting within their rights.
"It cannot be said that the judge's decision to prohibit visits clearly ran counter to the guidelines of the powers granted to him, and (the decision) was not illegal," Nagano said.
According to the ruling, a total ban on visits has been placed on Asahara, and his family meets him only at times when the court partially lifts the ban.
During their suit, the family of Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, argued that the detention center was not giving Asahara sufficient medical treatment even though he had a serious psychiatric disorder. The court dismissed the argument, saying that based on the diagnosis of a psychiatrist, the detention center had decided that forced treatment was not necessary. The court added that this decision could not be called unreasonable.
AUM Shinrikyo has changed its name to Aleph.