TOKYO - A 12-year prison sentence handed down Jan 31 by the Tokyo High Court to Yoshinobu Aoyama, a former lawyer for the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult, for attempted murder and other charges became final Thursday with the expiration of the appeal period.
Aoyama, 41, decided not to appeal the ruling, sources said, after losing his appeal to the high court. In rejecting his appeal, the high court said Aoyama acted with criminal intent in 1994 when he helped put deadly sarin gas in the car of Taro Takimoto, 45, a lawyer who was helping Aum members wanting to leave the cult. (Kyodo News)