Two other cult members who directly participated in the gassing have been given life in prison. National broadcaster NHK reported that Yokohama argued that he had not intended to kill anybody, but Kyodo News reported that prosecutors said the riders on Yokoyama's train were saved only because it ran above ground and had better ventilation. Judge Yamazaki rejected the defense's argument that Yokoyama had been brainwashed by the cult at the time of the attack, Kyodo said. The government is also stiffening its stance against the cult. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said today the government will speed legislation to restrict the group's activities, despite Aum's pledge to tone down its profile.
Public sentiment is also firmly against the cult.
Residents in areas where Aum has bought land have staged noisy protests, and local governments have backed them by refusing residence permits. New Accusations Police say the group is still involved in shady activities. She had her hands and feet bound with adhesive tape and sometimes had her head pushed into a water tank until she lost consciousness, officials said. She managed to escape last April. Aum, believed to have some 2,100 followers, has never acknowledged responsibility for the subway gassing and has repeatedly insisted that it is not dangerous.