Lawyers representing Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara argued Thursday that their client is innocent of masterminding a series of grisly crimes, including two fatal sarin gas attacks.
The lawyers instead blamed Asahara¡¯s followers in the doomsday cult.
On the first of two days of closing arguments at the Tokyo District Court, Asahara¡¯s state-appointed defense counsel criticized prosecutors for rejecting Asahara¡¯s status as a true religious leader and ignoring the possibility that his followers were to blame.
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