crime

Focus shifts to executions in 1995 sarin gas attack

8 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and KEN MORITSUGU

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8 Comments
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Please don't execute Asahara and turn him into a "martyr" to his remaining followers. Let him continue to rot where he is.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I don't like the idea that "everyone" is clamouring to see these people hanged. I'd be content if they were to remain in jail for the rest of their lives.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I have an idea.

Why not let them have a choice. Go through this door if you want to end your life.

Go through this door. Spend the rest of your natural life in prison till you expire.

Every five years offer the same option. Do you want to continue on in prison? Yes/No?

Humane?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I've never understood why otherwise intelligent and educated people with careers and decent lives belong to groups like that, following clearly insane leaders, and committing horrible acts that cannot be logically justified.

I can sort of understand how the uneducated, poor, or otherwise downtrodden might be suckered in by a promise of a better life. But, not doctors, college professors, computer engineers, etc.

To some extent, that goes for any religion. But, especially for groups like Scientology, Aum Shinrikyo, Heaven's Gate, and the like.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It’s about TIME.

”Hang ‘em HIGH”.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

1/23/2018 6:48 a.m. EST The very first thing I was told when I moved to Japan in 1984, was: Japanese law is non-negotiable. It is held in high regard by its citizens first, and the rest of the civilized world after that. Violating the law has consequences,, usually equal in their severity to the crime(s) committed. There will be no martyrdom for the convicted cult leader or his imprisoned followers. They will be hanged and forgotten. The families of those who died in the subway may find some closure, some peace. That is the only unfinished business with regard to this tragic event. I think many Japanese citizens would agree that Japan should not repeal its death penalty. It has served long and effectively as a powerful deterrent against crime. The American judicial and prison systems are a shining example of the utter failure of a society to address the issue of violent crime. Crime is passe, violent crime a daily event; and Americans are numb, helpless and terrified. When I lived in Japan, I never had to look over my shoulder. When I returned to the States, that was the first habit to return. I miss Japan.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Bury them alive.... I don't need my tax contributions spent on keeping these animals alive!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The problem with the death penalty in Japan is that Japan's criminal justice system has a 99% conviction rate. That leads one to believe that the chance someone could be mistakenly executed for a crime they did not commit is also very high.

In this case, I don't feel a lot of sympathy for the Aum nutjobs, but a country which bars the use of any form of recording equipment during interrogations absolutely must not execute people.

There are too many chances for career climbing, vicious prosecutors and police to warp justice in order to secure a conviction they believe is correct, solid evidence be damned.

Japan should put a moratorium on executions at least until the procedures leading to conviction for capital crimes are following international standards. The US is not a good standard for this - some studies claim up to 1 in 25 people are executed despite being innocent of the crime there. That should never happen. There must be no shadow of a doubt before executing someone. If we accept any other standard we are nothing better than murderous barbarians ourselves. We have to hold ourselves to the highest of standards if we are going to sentence people to death for crimes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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