FALSE PROPHET: THE AUM CULT OF TERROR

On Trial

Tokyo District Court

The trials involving the inner circle of the cult began in 1996. Asahara had previously been charged with 23 counts of murder. Surrounded in court by no less than 12 lawyers, he pleaded not guilty on all counts. The charges against many of the leaders including Joyu, Aoyama and Takeshi Matsumoto were listed as murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, manufacture of dangerous drugs and a score of lesser charges.

Sketch of Asahara in court

Other cult leaders, including Inoue, Hayakawa, Niimi, Tsuchiya and Endo, gave full confessions in an attempt to avoid the death penalty. Their fate has yet to be decided. The trial is likely to continue for the next 30 years, according to legal experts, as a battery of lawyers continues to argue against the charges and protest against the "violation of Aum's religious freedom".

Mug shots of Aum followers posted in subways

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1. Blind Ambition
2. Metamorphosis
3. Birth Of A Guru
4. Ritual Madness
5. Holy Mountain
6. A New Age
7. Deadly Intent
8. The Challenger
9. Cult Of Death
10. Aftermath
11. Pursuit of Power
12. Weird Science
13. Russian Connection
14. Lethal Empire
15. Bio-Terror Plans
16. Bio-Terror First Attempts
17. Perfect Weapon
18. Guinea Pigs
19. A Time of War
20. Strike Force
21. Death & Betrayal
22. On Trial
23. Epilogue
24. Legal Manoeuvres
25. Alive and Well
26. Death Sentence
27. A Tribute
28. Bibliography