Who are the Aum Shinrikyo?
Seven members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult which carried out a deadly chemical attack on the Tokyo underground in 1995 have been executed, including cult leader Shoko Asahara. The Sarin attack, Japan's worst terror incident, killed 13 people and injured thousands more. The executions took place at a Tokyo detention house on Friday morning.
Who are the Aum Shinrikyo cult leaders executed?
Tokyo Sarin attack: Aum Shinrikyo cult leaders executed. Japan does not give prior notice of executions, but they were later confirmed by the justice ministry. Shoko Asahara, 63, and his followers were also accused of several other murders and an earlier Sarin gas attack in 1994 which killed eight and left 600 injured.
Was Aum Shinrikyo behind the Matsumoto sarin attack?
Police investigations focused only on an innocent local resident, Yoshiyuki Kouno, and failed to implicate the cult at the time. It was only after the Tokyo subway attack that Aum Shinrikyo was discovered to be behind the Matsumoto sarin attack.
How many Aum Shinrikyo members have been convicted?
Two hundred Aum Shinrikyo members were convicted following the attacks. Founder Shoko Asahara received the death penalty and was executed in 2018. Wigington, Patti.
Who is the current leader of Aum Shinrikyo?
Under the leadership of Fumihiro Joyu, the Aum changed its name to Aleph in January 2000 and claimed to have rejected the violent and apocalyptic teachings of its founder. (Joyu took formal control of the organization early in 2002 and remains its leader.)
How many people died from Aum Shinrikyo?
The toxin struck victims down in a matter of seconds, leaving them choking and vomiting, some blinded and paralysed. Thirteen people died. Aum Shinrikyo, often shortened to Aum, believed that the end of the world was coming and that those outside the cult would go to hell - unless they were killed by cult members.
How many people died in the sarin gas attack?
14Tokyo subway sarin attack / Number of deathsIn five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on three lines of the Tokyo Metro (then Teito Rapid Transit Authority) during rush hour, killing 13 people, severely injuring 50 (some of whom later died), and causing temporary vision problems for nearly 1,000 others.
How did Aum Shinrikyo get sarin?
Six years ago, on March 20, 1995, five members of the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) boarded subway trains in Tokyo, Japan, and released the deadly chemical nerve agent sarin.
What was the main goal of Aum Shinrikyo?
Doctrine of the Aum Shinrikyo Asahara preached that the end of the world was near and that Aum followers would be the only people to survive the apocalypse, which he predicted would occur in 1996 or between 1999 and 2003.
Does Japan have the death penalty?
Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Japan. It is applied in practice only for aggravated murder, although it is also a legal penalty for certain crimes against the state, such as treason and military insubordination, as well as kidnapping resulting in death.
How do you neutralize sarin gas?
ANTIDOTE: Atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM Cl) are antidotes for nerve agent toxicity; however, 2-PAM Cl must be administered within minutes to a few hours (depending on the agent) following exposure to be effective.
What does sarin gas smell like?
Sarin is a clear, colorless, and tasteless liquid that has no odor in its pure form.
What does sarin gas do to the human body?
Exposure to high doses of sarin can result in tremors, seizures, and hypothermia. A more severe effect of sarin is the build-up of ACh in the central nervous system (CNS) which causes paralysis and ultimately peripherally-mediated respiratory arrest, leading to death.
Is sarin gas Illegal?
Sarin is widely considered a weapon of mass destruction. Production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed as of April 1997 by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance.
Is sarin gas the same as mustard gas?
Unlike chemical nerve agents such as organophosphates or sarin gas, which immediately incapacitate victims, mustard gas victims typically don't exhibit symptoms of poisoning until 12 to 24 hours after exposure. However, higher concentrations of the gas can cause symptoms to develop within one to two hours.
What is sarin gas made from?
Sarin originally was developed in 1938 in Germany as a pesticide. It has no color in its purest form. Sarin, C4H10FO2P, is composed of 4 carbon atoms, 10 hydrogen atoms, 1 fluorine atom, 2 oxygen atoms, and 1 phosphorus atom. It is a nerve gas classified as a weapon of mass destruction, later destroyed globally.
How did Aum Shinrikyo recruit?
Beyond rudimentary techniques such as leafleting and street corner proselytizing, the Aum used a diverse blend of recruiting methods. They used their classes on yoga, herbal healing and meditation on campuses to recruit. They also recruited through their numerous computer stores, book stores and noodle shops.
How is sarin gas released?
The perpetrators sprayed Sarin from evaporator-type spray containers in the car park, and the released fog-like gas moved and spread, causing many residents to be poisoned. The spraying device was made from refrigerator-car equipment, and had a heating-pot and a fan.
Where did Aum Shinrikyo form?
Asahara Shoko, original name Matsumoto Chizuo, (born March 2, 1955, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan—died July 6, 2018, Tokyo), founder of AUM Shinrikyo (“Supreme Truth”; renamed Aleph in 2000), a millenarian new religious movement in Japan.
Who founded Aum Shinrikyo?
Shoko AsaharaAum Shinrikyo / FounderAfter reviewing the history of the Japanese terrorist cult Aum Shinrikyo and its founder Chizuo Matsumoto, this article describes its terrorist attacks, which included the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system that killed 12 and injured 5,500; the official response to these attacks and the subsequent direction of ...
What is the Aum Shinrikyo?
Aum Shinrikyo, whose name means "supreme truth", began in the 1980s as a spiritual group mixing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, later working in elements of apocalyptic Christian prophesies. The group's founder, Shoko Asahara, declared himself to be both Christ and the first "enlightened one" since Buddha. The group, whose name is often shortened ...
What was the Aum cult?
Aum gradually became a paranoid doomsday cult, convinced the world was about to collapse into World War Three and only its members would survive. It became increasingly violent, kidnapping, injuring and killing opponents, and even using chemical and biological agents in other attacks.
What happened after the attack?
In the months after the March 1995 attack, the group made several failed attempts to release hydrogen cyanide in various stations.
How much did Asahara pay for rituals?
One described paying more than £6,115 ($8,100) in 1988 for a "blood initiation" where he drank what was said to be the leader's blood.
Why was Makoto Hirata jailed?
Cult member Makoto Hirata was also jailed in 2014 for the abduction of a 68-year-old man and his involvement in two bomb attacks.
How many bags of nerve agent were left on the train?
Also on board the trains: five bags filled with liquid nerve agent, left by members of a doomsday cult.
When did Aum become a religion?
The group, whose name is often shortened to just Aum, gained official status as a religious organisation in Japan in 1989. Asahara picked up a sizeable global following, speaking at universities and writing books. At its peak, Aum had tens of thousands of members worldwide. 2.43.6.3bda600.
Who is Aum Shinrikyo?
Aum Shinrikyo Key Takeaways. Founded by Shoko Asahara in the early 1990s, Aum Shinrikyo was a doomsday cult based in Japan. Aum Shinrikyo conducted a deadly nerve gas attack on a Tokyo subway in 1995. Thirteen people were killed, and thousands were injured. Two hundred Aum Shinrikyo members were convicted following the attacks.
When was Aum Shinrikyo founded?
Aum Shinrikyo was founded in Japan in 1985 by Chizuo Matsumoto. In 1987, Matsumoto changed his name to Shoko Asahara .
How many members does Aum Shinrikyo have?
Following Asahara's arrest and trial, the group reinvented itself under the name Aleph, and currently has about two thousand members.
What happened in 1995?
Victims of the subway sarin gas attack in a hospital waiting room. Sygma via Getty Images / Getty Images. In March 1995, police were about to close in on Asahara and his followers for their role in the murder of Kiyoshi Kariya , the brother of a cult member who had escaped.
How many people did Shinrikyo kill?
Aum Shinrikyo's labs contained so many chemical compounds that, according to the authorities, they could have created enough sarin to kill four million people.
What did Asahara call himself?
He called himself the Lamb of God. Asahara announced that it was his job to take on the sins of the world, and that for this reason he could relieve anyone who followed him of their sins. He also wrote a detailed manifesto outlining his doomsday prophecy, which included a third world war started by the United States.
What did Asahara believe?
Asahara and his followers believed strongly in Biblical prophecies, particularly those surrounding the end times. Their plan of salvation included spiritual healing to cure physical illnesses, positive thinking to improve intelligence, and living by ascetic practices.
How many people died in Aum Shinrikyo?
The toxin struck victims down in a matter of seconds, leaving them choking and vomiting, some blinded and paralysed. Thirteen people died. Aum Shinrikyo, often shortened to Aum, believed that the end of the world was coming and that those outside the cult would go to hell - unless they were killed by cult members.
What is the Aum Shinrikyo cult?
The cult, whose name means "supreme truth", began in the 1980s as a spiritual group mixing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, later working in elements of apocalyptic Christian prophesies.
How many members of the Aum Shinrikyo Doomsday cult have been executed?
Seven members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult which carried out a deadly chemical attack on the Tokyo underground in 1995 have been executed, including cult leader Shoko Asahara.
When did Aum Shinrikyo become a religious organization?
Aum Shinrikyo gained official status as a religious organisation in Japan in 1989 and picked up a sizeable global following. At its peak, Asahara had tens of thousands of followers worldwide.
How many people were killed in the Sarin gas attack?
Shoko Asahara, 63, and his followers were also accused of several other murders and an earlier Sarin gas attack in 1994 which killed eight and left 600 injured.
How many people have been executed in Japan?
Japan has executed as many as eight people a year since an effective moratorium ended in 2010. The death penalty is only used for serious cases of murder. Officials do not give advance public notice of executions, and those condemned usually learn they are scheduled to die just a few hours beforehand.
When was Sarin released?
On 20 March 1995 , cult members released the Sarin on the subway in the Japanese capital. They left punctured bags filled with liquid nerve agent on train lines going through Tokyo's political district. Witnesses described noticing the leaking packages and soon afterwards feeling stinging fumes hitting their eyes.
What is Aum Shinrikyo?
Aum Shinrikyo was founded on the basis of meditation and spiritual guidance, but before long, it was a group determined to jump-start the apocalypse. Wojtek Laski/Getty Images Shoko Asahara, leader of the cult group Aum Shinrikyo, during a visit to Moscow, Russia, on February 17, 1994. In 1984, the Japanese group Aum Shinrikyo was founded as ...
When was Aum Shinrikyo founded?
In 1984, the Japanese group Aum Shinrikyo was founded as a simple yoga class. Just 11 years later, it carried out a devastating sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway and made a name for itself as one of the world’s most frightening doomsday cults.
What was the name of the group that started in 1984?
What started in 1984 as a class became in 1987 the group Aum Shinrikyo, which gained official recognition as a religious organization in Japan just two years later. In books and frequent appearances on talk shows, Asahara promised members health and a better life through spirituality, focus, and positive thinking — a message ...
When was Shoko Asahara transferred to Tokyo?
JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images In this picture taken on July 19, 1995 , Shoko Asahara is transferred from Tokyo police headquarters to Tokyo District Court for questioning. In the years since the Tokyo attack, former Aum Shinrikyo followers have spoken out about their experiences and written books about life inside the cult.
Where are Aleph and Hikari no Wa?
Somehow, Aleph and Hikari no Wa still have members today. Many of them are in Eastern Europe and Russia, where Aum Shinrikyo’s former followers joined the new groups. Though Asahara is gone, his philosophy lives on — and the world keeps a wary eye on its disciples.
Where did Shinrikyo execute the largest domestic terrorist attack ever to take place on Japanese soil?
Wikimedia Commons The Tokyo subway, where Aum Shinrikyo executed the largest domestic terrorist attack ever to take place on Japanese soil.
What was the deadliest aspect of Asahara's philosophy?
The deadliest aspect of Asahara’s philosophy was his conviction that the apocalypse was near at hand. The guru believed that only initiates of Aum Shrinrikyo would survive the end of the world — and to hasten a future where only the devout inhabited the earth, they sought to bring it about themselves.
How many people died in Aum Shinrikyo?
The toxin struck victims down in a matter of seconds, leaving them choking and vomiting, some blinded and paralysed. Thirteen people died. Aum Shinrikyo, often shortened to Aum, believed that the end of the world was coming and that those outside the cult would go to hell - unless they were killed by cult members.
What is the Aum Shinrikyo cult?
The cult, whose name means "supreme truth", began in the 1980s as a spiritual group mixing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, later working in elements of apocalyptic Christian prophesies.
How many members of the Aum Shinrikyo Doomsday cult have been executed?
Seven members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult which carried out a deadly chemical attack on the Tokyo underground in 1995 have been executed, including cult leader Shoko Asahara.
When did Aum Shinrikyo become a religious organization?
Aum Shinrikyo gained official status as a religious organisation in Japan in 1989 and picked up a sizeable global following. At its peak, Asahara had tens of thousands of followers worldwide.
How many people were killed in the Sarin gas attack?
Shoko Asahara, 63, and his followers were also accused of several other murders and an earlier Sarin gas attack in 1994 which killed eight and left 600 injured.
How many people have been executed in Japan?
Japan has executed as many as eight people a year since an effective moratorium ended in 2010. The death penalty is only used for serious cases of murder. Officials do not give advance public notice of executions, and those condemned usually learn they are scheduled to die just a few hours beforehand.
When was Sarin released?
On 20 March 1995 , cult members released the Sarin on the subway in the Japanese capital. They left punctured bags filled with liquid nerve agent on train lines going through Tokyo's political district. Witnesses described noticing the leaking packages and soon afterwards feeling stinging fumes hitting their eyes.
