Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō?), born Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto Chizuo?) on March 2, 1955, is a founder of the Japanese new religious group Aum Shinrikyo. He was convicted of masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and several other crimes, for which he was sentenced to death in 2004. In June 2012, his execution has been postponed due to further arrests of Aum Shinrikyo members.
Read more about Shoko Asahara: Early Years, Birth of Aum Shinrikyo, Aum Shinrikyo: The Doctrine, Tokyo Subway Gas Attack, Accusations, and Trial