No less than the death sentence -- with some saying death is not enough -- seems to be the general tone set by the media and public ahead of the long-awaited ruling on Feb. 27 on AUM Shinrikyo founder and leader Shoko Asahara.
But Yoshiyuki Kono, who was falsely branded as a suspect in the 1994 sarin gas attack by AUM in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, is not jumping on the bandwagon of vitriolic condemnation of the cult, its members and Asahara.
"I only want a fair and just ruling from the court and nothing more," said Kono, whose wife Sumiko is still in a coma as a result of the sarin gassing.
Immediately after the gassing incident on the night of June 27, 1994, which Kono was the first to report to the police, he was portrayed as a suspect by the police and harassed by the media.
The police alleged he caused the gassing that killed seven people in Matsumoto and injured more than 100 by trying to make herbicide by mixing chemical substances which led to the release of the toxic gas.
The attack was a prelude to the sarin gassing of Tokyo's subway system on March 20, 1995, which killed 12 people and injured thousands.
For someone who was subjected to a taxing ordeal -- intense grilling by the police, daily tirades of biased media reporting and harassment by the media and some members of the public -- the 54-year-old Kono is a picture of composure and quiet resolve.
"I have no hatred or anger against anyone...given my experience as both a victim and an alleged assailant, I do not want anyone to go through what I did," he said.
AUM followers -- Kono calls the group Aleph in line with its renaming of itself in 2000 -- should not be treated unreasonably, he believes.
"Say that capital punishment is imposed (on Mr. Asahara) -- will the people who died return, or will the injuries of the victims, like that of my wife, be healed?" he asks.
"People who want to exact retribution would probably feel the death penalty is fine, but as for me, I leave it up to the court." Kono speaks with a soft but controlled tone, carefully choosing his words.
Rather than harbor resentment over his and his family's experience, Kono feels a sense of gratitude that they were able to pull through the 10 years that have passed and overcome the trials in their lives, and that to this day, his wife, 55, is still alive.
Sumiko remains unconscious but is moved in and out of the hospital to sometimes stay at a nursing facility.
Kono stresses he does not consider a death sentence on the AUM leader would serve as a "closure" for him given his wife's condition.
He goes on to argue that death penalty system does not resolve anything, much less deter crimes. "People do not commit crimes thinking of the kind of punishment they will have to face. I believe that the life of everyone, including those who committed crimes, is precious."
The police exonerated Kono when AUM members later told investigators the group was responsible for the gas attack in the residential area in Matsumoto, in an apparent attempt to kill a judge who was handling a civil suit involving the religious group.
Since then, Kono has regularly appeared in speaking engagements on issues relating to media coverage, crime and human rights. Last year, he attended 95 such gatherings, with audiences ranging from as few as 35 to as many as 3,000.
He also engages in freelance writing, although he stresses that nursing his wife is his top priority.
Kono tells how he went to see the AUM founder during the third hearing of his trial, and of his surprise at the discrepancy between the media depiction of Asahara and the Asahara he saw. Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, faces charges including murder for ordering crimes committed by his followers in which more than 20 people died.
"The media depicted Mr. Asahara as this extremely disgusting figure. What I saw, though, was a very small, weak person," Kono said.
He stressed, however, that he has since come to terms with the media.
"The media initially hit on me, but they also ended up helping me avoid my impending arrest" by creating an atmosphere that did not lean one-sidedly to police investigations, he said.
Neither does he have any resentment against the police.
"I cannot generalize that everyone (in the police force) is bad...the police ultimately decided against arresting me, and that shows that the conscience of the police prevailed."
Kono has set aside his brush with the police, and in 2002 became one of the three members of the Public Safety Commission, which monitors the Nagano prefectural police activities.
"It's a risky job," he said, referring to the commision's involvement in sensitive issues such as organized crime groups.
But just as he did in 1994, he takes all this in his stride.
"I have consistently stood firm in my stance that I will not run away from anyone."