try 189 members of the cult. 13 members have been handed death sentences, including cult founder shoko asahara, whose real name is chizuo matsumoto. with all sentences relating to the sarin attacks now finalized the ministry of justice will consider when the executions should take place. the japanese legal system demands that all accomplices in a crime be sentenced before capital punishment can proceed. a support group for the families of aum followers on monday said it has appealed against the executions, arguing that if asahara had not founded the cult, the defendants would not have committed the crimes. the victims' families are pressing for early executions. >> translator: our feelings will never change even if the executions are carried out. i will carefully watch how the situation develops. >> 16 years of legal proceedings against aum shinri kyo members didn't help dig up many answers. we still don't know why the cult's leader tried to take over japan. and we also don't know why highly educated young people such as seiichi endo joined the religious group. endo was once a graduate student