Tokyo ? Japan’s Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by doomsday cult founder Shoko Asahara, paving the way for his execution for a string of killings including the 1995 nerve-gas attack on Tokyo’s subways.

The court upheld a lower court decision finding that Asahara, 51, was competent to face justice, the court ruling said. The defense team for the former leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult had argued he was mentally unstable and did not understand the proceedings against him.

Asahara was convicted and sentenced to death in 2004 for masterminding attacks that killed 27 people, most chillingly the subway assault in which followers released sarin nerve gas on crowded commuter trains in Tokyo’s government district, killing 12.

The Supreme Court voted to reject the former guru’s appeal, said Naoki Katayama, a court spokesman, but he refused to say whether this would lead automatically to Asahara’s execution.

The court upheld a lower court decision finding that Asahara, 51, was competent to face justice, the court ruling said. The defense team for the former leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult had argued he was mentally unstable and did not understand the proceedings against him.

Asahara was convicted and sentenced to death in 2004 for masterminding attacks that killed 27 people, most chillingly the subway assault in which followers released sarin nerve gas on crowded commuter trains in Tokyo’s government district, killing 12.

The Supreme Court voted to reject the former guru’s appeal, said Naoki Katayama, a court spokesman, but he refused to say whether this would lead automatically to Asahara’s execution.