"TOKYO — The Tokyo High Court on Monday rejected an appeal filed by the defense counsel of Aum Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara, increasing the likelihood that his death sentence will stand without a court hearing. The court said the defense had failed to present their case within the designated deadline for an appeal and said there is no doubt the defendant is mentally fit to stand trial, despite the defense team's claim to the contrary.
Asahara was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court in February 2004 for his role in 13 criminal cases, including the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system that killed 12 people and sickened more than 5,500 others.
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