Shoko Asahara and the cult behind the Tokyo sarin attack

On 20 March 1995 members of the Aum Supreme Truth cult released sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, on a Tokyo subway during rush hour. Twelve people died and a further 6,000 were affected. The cult’s leader and the mastermind behind the attacks was Shoko Asahara, who was wanted for previous attacks on the Japanese public. Asahara was arrested two months after the attack and was executed on Friday. The cult is banned officially, but some former followers continue to follow Asahara’s teachings