Yoshihiro Yasuda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yoshihiro Yasuda (安田好弘 Yasuda Yoshihiro, born 1948) is a lawyer in Japan who is known for his anti-death penalty activism in Japan.
Yasuda agree to defend Shoko Asahara, founder of the controversial Buddhist religious group accused of various crimes, including the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack. In 1998 Yasuda was charged with ‘obstruction of justice’ and consequently could not direct the efforts of the defence team, which ‘jeopardized Shoko Asahara’s right to fair trial’ according to Amnesty International. He was acquitted of all charges in 2003, shortly before the end of Asahara’s trial.
[edit] External links
- ‘Amnesty International calls for inquiry into arrest of prominent human rights activist’. (In English)
- Mainichi Interactive: Asahara's lawyer acquitted of helping firm hide assets. (In English)
- The Yasuda Arrest: Criminal and Political Considerations, Japan Policy Research Institute (In English).
