Murakami says can't publicly oppose death penalty for sarin gas attackers

Bestselling author Haruki Murakami says he cannot publicly oppose the hanging of the sarin gas attackers despite his objections to the death penalty, but Japan should not use the case as a pretext for sticking to capital punishment.

The reclusive Japanese writer made the rare comment in an article in the Mainichi daily today, just days after Japan executed the last members of the Aum Shinrikyo members on death row.

Murakami said on the newspaper's English-language website that "as a general argument" he opposes capital punishment.

But having interviewed those who suffered and lost loved ones for his book 'Underground' on the 1995 sarin subway attack, he wrote, "I cannot publicly state, as far as this case is concerned, 'I am opposed to death penalty'."