Kyoto Anime arsonist sentenced to death by Japanese court 

The Kyoto District Court sentenced Shinji Aoba (45) to death after he was found guilty of killing 36 people in the Kyoto Animation arson attack on July 2019. 

The long-awaited trials for Aoba first started in September 2023, as he had previously been recovering from life-threatening burns sustained in the incident. During the trials, the most disputed point was whether the court would acknowledge the defense’s argument of homicide by willful negligence or find Aoba guilty of murder. 

However, announcing the court’s verdict, the presiding judge stated that the accused was not found to be in a mentally ill nor weakened state and had the ability to make judgements (NHK). As Aoba was found to be fully responsible for one of the deadliest cases in recent Japanese history, he was given the death penalty.