The Tokyo District Court, Japan, sentenced Tomomasa...

The Tokyo District Court, Japan, sentenced Tomomasa Nakagawa, a senior figure of the Aum Supreme Truth cult, to death for multiple murder in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and 10 other crimes. Nakagawa, a 41-year-old former physician and right-hand man of sect founder Shoko Asahara, became the 10th member of the doomsday cult to face the death penalty.
The Court ruled that Nakagawa conspired with other members, including Asahara, and killed at least 24 people in five incidents between 1989 and 1995.
Nakagawa played a "key role" in producing and releasing the deadly nerve gas sarin in several cases, including the Tokyo subway attack in which 12 people were killed and thousands of others were injured, according to the judgement.
"Acknowledging the acts were illegal, he acted of his own volition. He was fully aware of the toxicity of sarin.
He possessed murderous intent. He is criminally responsible," said presiding judge Yuichi Okada.
"The accused deserves the death penalty." Nakagawa bowed deeply to the judge after the verdict was handed down.
He was also convicted of smothering a sleeping one-year-old boy to death with his hand during the 1989 murder of family members of an anti-sect lawyer.
During trial Nakagawa apologised to victims for his role in the murders and expressed his willingness to be punished "severely", but denied he was a cult leader directing the killings.
He pleaded guilty over the murder of the lawyer's family and to being involved in the production of the nerve gases sarin and VX, but pleaded not guilty to murder over the gassing deaths.