Cult Guru Celebrated Attack, Prosecutors Say
TOKYO — The leader of the cult that carried out the Tokyo subway attack celebrated afterward, welcoming his disciples back with refreshments and praising them for the nerve gas killings, prosecutors said Thursday.
On the second day of a trial that has riveted the nation, prosecutors laid out their case against Shoko Asahara, portraying him as a coldblooded killer in a 99-page opening statement full of previously undisclosed details.
Asahara is accused of masterminding the March 1995 attack that killed 11 people and sickened more than 5,500 others. He also faces charges in several other killings linked to Aum Supreme Truth, his apocalyptic cult. On Wednesday, he refused to make a plea.
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