Shoko Asahara’s Trial

Osamu WATANABE
Will You Lead a Better Life If You Put Asahara to Death?

Yoshihiro YASUDA
The Right to Live

First-hand information in the books by notable Japanese lawyers Osamu Watanabe and Yoshihiro Yasuda.

Surely, you have heard about Shoko Asahara and AUM Shinrikyo. These names are directly associated with the sarin gassing incident in the Tokyo subway. Quite a number of people have a definite opinion on the subject, ‘Of course, Shoko Asahara and his religious community deserve a severe punishment. AUM’s founder must be put to death for the crimes he has committed’. The mass media had been trying very hard to suggest that Shoko Asahara was guilty even before the beginning of the trial. They created the image of Shoko Asahara known to the public and they helped to mould public opinion. Did you ever wonder that this made-up image might be wrong and the results of the trial predetermined?

We would like to offer to your attention the books by two notable Japanese lawyers Yoshihiro Yasuda, chief attorney of Mr. Asahara, who is believed to be the country’s leading crusader against the death penalty, and Osamu Watanabe. Both lawyers were not chosen by Mr. Asahara but appointed by the state. They have never been interested in religion. They are just good professionals who always try to fulfil their professional duty in the best possible way and honest men who were unable to keep silent about outrageous violations of law and justice during Mr. Asahara’s trial. This is why each of them independently regarded it as his duty to write a book to make the truth known to everybody. Their aim was not only to save Shoko Asahara’s life but to serve the people of their country fighting for lawful and fair trials.

You may change your opinion moulded by the media about the role Mr. Asahara played in the 1995 Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, etc. after reading the books. You may also be greatly surprised to learn from them the following facts:

1. The result of the trial was predetermined even before any investigation was started
2. The investigation authorities decided to execute Mr. Asahara even before they arrested him
3. Not a single convincing evidence was presented in Court as proof of Mr. Asahara’s guilt. All accusations were based on the deliberate distortion of AUM’s doctrine and the evidence of some disciples [which cannot be considered reliable].
4. Investigation officials forged exhibits and made witnesses tell lies. The objective expertise of the ‘poisonous substance’ found at the incident locations was not carried out.
5. The authorities were doing their best to put lawyers out of the way to be able to execute the defendant. To achieve their goals in the middle of the investigation process they arrested Yoshihiro Yasuda, chief attorney of Shoko Asahara, who was acquitted on December 24, 2003.

We begin with the three most interesting chapters from the book by Osamu Watanabe ‘Will You Lead a Better Life If You Put Asahara to Death?’ followed by five stories from the book by Yoshihiro Yasuda ‘The Right to Live’.

No to the Death Penalty!