Editing Aum Shinrikyo (section)

==Subsequent activities==
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{{Expand section|date=September 2025}}
According to a June 2005 report by the [[National Police Agency (Japan)|National Police Agency]], Aleph had approximately 1,650 members, of whom 650 [[Intentional community|lived communally]] in compounds.<ref name="npa">{{cite web |url=http://www.npa.go.jp/kouhousi/biki2/sec03/sec03_04.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725105241/http://www.npa.go.jp/kouhousi/biki2/sec03/sec03_04.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 July 2011 |title=オウム真理教対策（警察庁） |date=25 July 2011 |access-date=6 July 2018}}</ref> The group operated 26 facilities in 17 [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]], and about 120 residential facilities. An article in the ''[[Mainichi Shimbun]]'' newspaper on 11 September 2002 showed that the Japanese public still distrusts Aleph, and compounds are usually surrounded by protest banners from local residents.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

===Monitoring===
In January 2000, the group was placed under surveillance for a period of three years under an anti-Aum law, in which the group was required to submit a list of members and details of assets to the authorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050323004610/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5|title=Lower House panel approves bills to crack down on Aum|work=The Japan Times|date=17 November 1999|archive-date=23 March 2005|via=japantimes.co.jp|access-date=12 July 2018}}</ref> In the same year, a Russian member was arrested for plotting a bombing attack as part of a plan to rescue Asahara from police custody.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/21/national/crime-legal/authorities-uncover-aum-cult-cell-moscow-russian-media/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023104607/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/21/national/crime-legal/authorities-uncover-aum-cult-cell-moscow-russian-media/#.VioP93bP1qY | archive-date=23 October 2015 | title=Authorities uncover Aum cult cell in Moscow: Russian media | work=Japan Times | date = 21 October 2015 }}</ref> The plan was led by Dmitry Sigachev, who was arrested at [[Primorsky Krai]].<ref name="rbth">{{cite web | url = https://www.rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/10/04/why-has-aum-shinrikyo-been-banned-in-russia-only-now_635553 | title = Why has Aum Shinrikyo been banned in Russia only now? | date = October 4, 2018 | author = Yecatherina Sinelschikova | publisher = [[rbth.com]]}}</ref>

In 2001, Russian Aum members had reportedly planned to attack the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]] with explosives in an effort to free Asahara from police custody.<ref name="TW">{{cite web | url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/aum-shinrikyo-linked-raids-take-place-in-russia-and-montenegro/ | title=Dozens of Suspected Aum Shinrikyo Cultists Detained in Russia, Montenegro &#124; News & Views | date=8 April 2016 }}</ref>

In January 2003, the [[Public Security Intelligence Agency]] received permission to extend the surveillance for another three years, as they found evidence which suggested that the group still revered Asahara.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5|title=Surveillance of Aum to continue on grounds it still poses threat to public|work=Japan Times|access-date=2 January 2012|archive-date=23 March 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050323004610/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the Religious News Blog report issued in April 2004, the authorities still considered the group "a threat to society".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.t3.org/Aum.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060722040355/http://www.t3.org/Aum.html|title=A Chronology of Police Actions: Aum Shinri Kyo and the Japanese Police|date=12 January 1997|archive-date=22 July 2006|url-status=dead|website=t3.org|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>

On 15 September 2006, Shoko Asahara lost his final appeal against the [[Capital punishment in Japan|death penalty]]. The following day Japanese police raided the offices of Aleph in order to "prevent any illegal activities by cult members in response to the confirmation of Asahara's death sentence".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5351376.stm|work=BBC News|title=Japanese police raid cult offices|date=16 September 2006|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> Thirteen cult members were eventually sentenced to death.<ref>Hongo, Jun, "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111122i1.html Last trial brings dark Aum era to end] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121181130/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111122i1.html |date=21 November 2011 }}", ''[[Japan Times]]'', 22 November 2011, p. 3.</ref>

===Split===
On 8 March 2007, [[Fumihiro Joyu]], former Aum Shinrikyo spokesman and head of Aum's [[Moscow]] operation, formally announced a long-expected split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17668/joyu-fumihori-group-leaves-aum-shinrikyo|title=Joyu Group Leaves AUM to Form New Organization|publisher=Religionnewsblog.com|date=8 March 2007|access-date=2 January 2012}}</ref> Joyu's group, called ''[[Hikari no Wa]]'' ("The Circle of Light"), claims to be committed to uniting science and religion and creating "the new science of the human mind", having previously aimed to move the group away from its criminal history and toward its spiritual roots.<ref name=cfr.org>{{cite news|last1=Fletcher|first1=Holly|title=CFR Backgrounder: Aum Shinrikyo |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/aum-shinrikyo|work=Council on Foreign Relations|date=19 June 2012}}</ref>

In April 2011, the Public Security Intelligence Agency stated that Aum had about 1,500 members.<ref>{{cite news| work=[[Metropolis (free magazine)|Metropolis]]|title=The Small Print: See Ya!|number=893|date=6–19 May 2011|page=4}}</ref> In July 2011, the cult reported its membership as 1,030. The group was reportedly active in trying to recruit new members via social media and proselytizing on college campuses.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=[[Jiji Press]]|title=Aum cult tops 1,000 followers|work=[[Japan Times]]|date=19 November 2011|page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hongo|first=Jun|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111121x2.html|title=Aum may be gone in name but guru still has following|work=Japan Times|date=22 November 2011|page=2}}</ref>

Japan's Public Security Examination Commission announced in January 2015 that Aum Shinrikyo's two spinoffs would remain under surveillance for three more years starting 1 February 2015.<ref name=jiji>{{cite news|last1=Kyodo|first1=Jiji|title=Surveillance of Aum successor cults extended three more years|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/01/24/national/crime-legal/aum-successor-groups-remain-surveillance-three-years|work=Japan Times|date=24 January 2015}}</ref>

===Admirers===
In 2014, ''[[The Japan Times]]'' alleged that "good looks and commitment to a cause", demonstrated by Aleph, "inspire a new generation of admirers". Dissatisfaction with society and low degrees of success in life make them "identify with the cult" and "adore the cultists as if they were pop idols".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/20/national/social-issues/aum-cultists-inspire-a-new-generation-of-admirers|title=Aum cultists inspire a new generation of admirers|first=Tomohiro|last=Osaki|date=20 March 2014|access-date=6 July 2018| work=Japan Times}}</ref>

=== 2013 investigation and media coverage ===
[[File:PSIA May 2013 Facility inspection.jpg|thumb|right|PSIA officers conduct a surprise inspection on a suspected Aleph building in 2013.]]

Sometime after April 2013, the [[Public Security Intelligence Agency]] took a photograph inside of Aleph's facilities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20130808_204027.html|title=元オウムの道場で見つかった公安調査庁長官の「串刺し写真」|website=NEWSポストセブン|language=ja|access-date=2019-06-18}}</ref> In this photograph, a bundle of papers is pierced with a knife on an [[altar]]-like object.<ref name=":0" /> The papers included photographs of PSIA employees and directors, police officers, and lawyer Taro Takimoto, who helped followers leave Aum Shinrikyo.<ref name=":0" /> At least at this point in time, Aleph still displayed portraits of Shoko Asahara and demanded followers' dependence using videos of Asahara.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/141108/afr1411080004-n1.html|title=公安調査官の写真串刺し、教団名隠し勧誘…旧オウム、「反社会性」は継続|last=INC|first=SANKEI DIGITAL|website=産経ニュース|date=7 November 2014|language=ja|access-date=2019-06-18|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110041407/https://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/141108/afr1411080004-n1.html|archivedate=2014-11-10}}</ref>

===2016 Montenegro crackdown===
In March 2016, Montenegro expelled 58 foreigners suspected of being associated with Aum Shinrikyo.<ref name="BBMASM">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35975069 | title=Aum Shinrikyo: The Japanese cult behind the Tokyo Sarin attack | work=BBC News | date=6 April 2016 }}</ref> Four of them were from Japan; 43 were from Russia, seven from Belarus, three from Ukraine, and one from Uzbekistan.<ref name="BBMASM"/>

===2016 Russian crackdown===
On 5 April 2016, the [[Investigative Committee of Russia]] announced it opened a criminal case against Aum Shinrikyo followers and that its investigators, along with [[Federal Security Service]] (FSB) forces, were conducting raids in [[Moscow]] and [[Saint Petersburg]] to find them and confiscate literature, religious items and electronic information.<ref>{{cite news|title=Searches underway in Moscow, St. Pete to expose Aum Shinrikyo followers|url=http://tass.ru/en/society/867313|newspaper=[[Russian News Agency TASS|TASS]]|location=Moscow|date=5 April 2016|access-date=5 April 2016}}</ref> On 20 September 2016, the Russian government banned Aum Shinrikyo from the country, declaring it a terrorist organization.<ref name="rbth"/>

===2017 Aleph raids===
In November 2017, Japanese police raided five offices of Aleph in an investigation into the group's recruiting practices after a woman paid tens of thousands of yen for study sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/11/13/national/crime-legal/offices-aum-successor-adelph-raided-recruiting-practices|title=Offices of Aum successor Aleph raided over recruiting practices|date=13 November 2017|access-date=6 July 2018|work=Japan Times}}</ref>

=== 2019 Tokyo car attack ===
On 1 January 2019, in [[Tokyo]], Aum sympathizer Kazuhiro Kusakabe told authorities he [[2019 Tokyo car attack|intentionally rammed into pedestrians]] crowded into narrow [[Takeshita Street]] in [[Harajuku]] district as a terrorist attack in "retaliation for an execution". It remains unclear whether he was referencing the 2018 executions of Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult members directly or making a broader statement. The attack, on [[Japanese New Year|New Year's Day]], left eight injured. A ninth person was also directly injured by the driver.<ref name="japantoday1">{{cite news|url=https://japantoday.com/category/crime/9-injured-as-man-rams-car-into-pedestrians-in-Harajuku-in-retaliation-for-execution|title=9 injured as man rams car into pedestrians in Harajuku in 'retaliation for execution'|newspaper=Japan Today|date=1 January 2019|access-date=1 January 2019}}</ref>