TOKYO, April 11 (Kyodo) - The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday decided to hand down a ruling in a damages lawsuit filed against AUM Shinrikyo religious cult founder Shoko Asahara over a 1994 sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on July 25.
The decision was made after the plaintiffs, eight family members representing four victims of the attack and demanding 545 million yen in damages, gave their final statements before the court earlier in the day to conclude the hearing in the civil case.
The case was filed in August 1995, about one year after the attack, but proceedings were suspended for almost four years because the court decided in December 1996 to await the verdict of criminal lawsuits filed against Asahara, 46.
In February of this year, the court decided not to put Asahara on the stand in the civil case as they felt the cult leader would not testify voluntarily in court.
Masako Yasumoto, 64, whose daughter was killed in the attack, told the court that she is frustrated because she will not hear directly from Asahara (in court). ''I will never forgive Asahara for killing my beloved daughter,'' she said.
Seven people were killed and more than 200 people were injured by the sarin gas attack in the central Japan city of Matsumoto in June 1994.
Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has been indicted on 13 criminal charges, including those related to a 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and the 1994 attack in Matsumoto.
AP-NY-04-11-01 0531EDT
Copyright 2001 The Kyodo News Service.