Attorneys for a cult guru accused of murder in the nerve gas attack on Tokyo subways denounced his trial Thursday as ``unfair'' because some of the prosecutors' charges are contradicted by testimony from their own witnesses.
Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Aum Shinri Kyo cult, is on trial on 17 charges in the March 20, 1995 sarin attack that killed 12 people and sickened thousands.
Other cult leaders have also been charged in the gassing as well as in other slayings.
Osamu Watanabe, Asahara's chief defense lawyer, said the trial should not be allowed to go on.
``We must wonder why such abnormal and unfair proceedings are tolerated. The court has been negligent,'' Watanabe told the Tokyo District Court.
The prosecutors say Asahara, accused of masterminding the subway gassing, decided on the attack on March 18, 1995 while riding in a car with his followers.
But Watanabe pointed out that top cultist Yoshihiro Inoue, a key witness for the prosecution, told the court that Asahara was still undecided on the timing of the attack at that time. Inoue quoted Asahara as saying that he needed to meditate about it.
Last April, the defense raised similar objections, but the prosecutors refused to change their statement. (cw)