Masami Tsuchiya (terrorist)
Masami Tsuchiya (土谷 正実, Tsuchiya Masami, January 6, 1965 – July 6, 2018) was a senior member of Aum Shinrikyo, responsible for the deaths of a combined 19 people and for the production of sarin, VX nerve agent, PCP, and LSD.[1] He is also notable for not showing remorse during the trials and remaining loyal to cult leader Shoko Asahara.[1] He was a member of the Ministry of Health of the cult,[2] with prosecutors calling him "the second most important figure involved in the gas attacks by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, after cult leader Asahara himself."[3] BiographyA native of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tsuchiya joined Aum Shinrikyo at the age of 26 in 1991 after attending a yoga class he took as treatment for whiplash following a car accident.[2] Tsuchiya earned his master’s degree in physical and organic chemistry from the University of Tsukuba before fully committing to Aum Shinrikyo.[2] Tsuchiya was charged with seven counts: the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack that killed 12 people; the June 1994 sarin attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture that killed seven; three VX gas attacks in 1994 and 1995 that killed one; production of PCP; and harboring Aum fugitives.[4] During the trials, he was notably defiant, insulting the prosecution and the families of the victims, and showing loyalty to Asahara.[4] He was found guilty of all counts in January 2004 and sentenced to death. The judge who delivered the sentence stated that, although Tsuchiya was not directly involved in the attacks, he deserved to die for his "sheer evil".[1] Tsuchiya was notably loyal to Asahara, describing himself as a "direct disciple of the guru",[4] and referring to Asahara as sonshi (尊師, "honorable master").[1] After his death sentence was handed down by the Tokyo District Court, he repeatedly asked for a commutation from death to life imprisonment. However, his request was first turned down by the Tokyo High Court in August 2006[5] and later by the Supreme Court, which rejected his appeal, arguing that he had played a decisive role in the 1995 subway attack.[6] Tsuchiya responded, saying, "Natural result. I wanted to think about what I could do with a lifelong apology."[7] His death sentence was finalized in 2011, and he was executed along with Asahara and five other cult members on July 6, 2018.[8] See alsoReferences
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