Kōichi Kitamura (terrorist)
Kōichi Kitamura | |
|---|---|
北村浩一 | |
| Born | February 16, 1968 Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Known for | Tokyo subway sarin attack |
| Criminal charge(s) | Murder Harboring a fugitive Kidnapping |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
Kōichi Kitamura (北村浩一, きたむら こういち, born February 16, 1968) is a Japanese convicted domestic terrorist and member of the doomsday-cult Aum Shinrikyo. In 1995, he served as getaway driver for one of the perpetrators of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, Kenichi Hirose. He was a 27-year-old when the attack was committed.[1] He is currently serving a life sentence for the attack and other offenses.[2][3]
Crimes and conviction
Kitamura is a native of Aichi Prefecture and joined Aum Shinrikyo in the late 1980's after reading a book written by leader Shoko Asahara.[4]
During the Tokyo subway sarin attack he drove Kenichi Hirose to the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line where Hirose boarded a train and punctured two bags of liquid sarin, killing one person, the attack would kill 13 people and injure more than 5,300.[2] Kitamura also aided cult fugitive Takeshi Matsumoto hide from justice between March and April 1995 for the crime of kidnapping.[2][3]
He remained as a fugitive until November of 1996 when he was finally arrested in Tokorozawa, Saitama.[2] In his first trial in May 1997 he admitted to the crimes and reportedly renounced to the cult although he maintained the belief that Asahara had superpowers and his lawyer said that he still was under the spell of the cult.[2]
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 1999, with the presiding judge chastising him for playing an "indispensable role" in the attack. The judge also highlighted his self-righteous motive for his crimes and pronounced the sentencing saying that:
Though the defendant knew the deadliness of the nerve gas, he took part without hesitation, believing the attack was an 'act of salvation'[2]
After the verdict was read, his lawyer said that Kitamura was still under Asahara's spell and thus was also a victim of the cult, arguing the court did not fully buy this point and that he would discuss with him whether to appeal to the higher courts.[2]
In January 2002, the Tokyo High Court upheld his sentence, which he called "too harsh" given his role in the attack. The court refuted his argument and highlighted his lack of remorse as motive for upholding the sentence.[3][4]
References
- ^ "Police Arrest Pair in '95 Gas Attack". Los Angeles Times. 14 November 1996. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gas attack getaway driver gets life term". The Japan Times. 12 November 1999. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Life term upheld in '95 sarin attack". The Japan Times. 30 January 2002. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ a b Furuhata, Kenichi (1 December 2002). オウム法廷〈10〉地下鉄サリンの「実行犯」たち (朝日文庫) (日本語) 文庫 – 2002/12/1 (in Japanese). Japan: Asahi Shimbun. p. 68. ISBN 9784022613974. Retrieved 30 August 2020.