Death penalty finalized for man behind 2019 arson attack on anime studio in Japan

ISTANBUL

A high court in Japan announced Tuesday that the man responsible for a 2019 arson attack on a studio belonging to Kyoto Animation Co. which killed 36 people has dropped his appeal to overturn his death sentence, finalizing the penalty, according to Kyodo News.

Shinji Aoba, now 46, was sentenced to death by the Kyoto District Court in January 2024 for setting fire to the renowned studio. The court found Aoba mentally competent, holding him fully responsible for his crimes.

Aoba’s legal team had initially appealed the death sentence. But on Monday, he withdrew the appeal, ensuring the penalty will be carried out.

The attack, which occurred on July 18, 2019, is one of Japan’s deadliest mass murders in recent history, in which 32 people were also injured.

Kyoto Animation is known globally for producing popular anime series.