Defense lawyers for the founder of the Aum Supreme Truth cult have requested that the Tokyo District Court adjourn the trial for a year to give them time to prepare their defense, judicial sources said Saturday.
The defense team said the adjournment is required to allow them to build a defense and select witnesses to appear for Chizuo Matsumoto, 46, who is also known as Shoko Asahara.
Prosecutors said the demand was "totally unacceptable."
The district court is unlikely to accept the adjournment request before Matsumoto's defense lawyers begin examining evidence and witnesses, the sources said.
The prosecution is not likely to finish presenting its case until the end of the year at the earliest. When it does, it will be the turn of the defense team, something that will be a focus of public attention.
According to the sources, Matsumoto's lawyers presented their request at a meeting with the district court judges and prosecutors earlier this month.
The defense team says it has not been able to have adequate communication with Matsumoto because he has frequently failed to turn up for meetings at an interview room at Tokyo Detention House, and when he did, he refused to answer their questions.
Therefore, the lawyers have had difficulty in compiling a defense strategy and in selecting witnesses.
About 5-1/2 years have passed since the trial began.
On Oct. 4, prosecutors questioned Seiichi Endo, 41, a former leading member of the cult, about the sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, completing their questioning regarding the facts in criminal charges brought against Matsumoto.