The Public Security Intelligence Agency has asked to extend by three years the observation status of three religious groups that grew out of AUM Shinrikyo, including Aleph, arguing that members remain under the absolute influence of their former leader even after his execution, NHK reported.
The current observation period expires in January. The agency cited the continued hold of Shoko Asahara — the name the former leader used, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto — over the groups as grounds for renewal. Matsumoto was executed in 2018.
Observation status is a form of surveillance under the Religious Corporations Act that lets the agency conduct on-site inspections and demand reports from groups deemed to pose a risk of serious harm. It is subject to periodic renewal.
The request covers Aleph and two other groups that trace their origins to AUM Shinrikyo, the cult behind the 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway.