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Greenpeace: Jail Term for Anti-whaling Activists?

Zurich/Jungfraujoch (ots)

In a public protest on Mt.
Jungfraujoch, timed to coincide with Japan's Oceans Day, Greenpeace 
activists demanded a fair sentence trial and an acquittal today for 
Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, two non-violent whale protectors 
threatened with one year and six months' jail after exposing 
embezzlement inside Japan's whaling industry.
Under the eyes of Japanese tourists on the "Top of Europe" 
Greenpeace environmentalists have hoisted an inflatable whale with a 
banner reading "Jailed for Protecting Whales?", and handed out flyers
with the image of the two anti-whaling activists, known as the Tokyo 
Two, with demands for a fair trial.
The threat of such a harsh, disproportionate sentence has again 
caught the attention of human rights observers, with the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay voicing her 
concern during a recent visit to Japan. Japan has already been 
criticised by the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group 
on Arbitrary Detention for violating Sato and Suzuki's human rights 
during their prolonged pre-charge detention and interrogation.
On June 8, 2010, almost two years after Junichi Sato and Toru 
Suzuki had uncovered a corruption scandal in the Japanese whaling 
industry, the trial of the two environmental activists in Aomori, 
Japan, came to a close. Although even the testimony of crew members 
from the whaling fleet supported the defendants' version of events, 
the prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of 18 months. (1)
"Non-violent protest and the exposure of corruption and other 
failures of government should never be met with such harsh 
penalties", said Bruno Heinzer, Greenpeace Switzerland Oceans 
Campaigner. "Activists are not criminals, and should not be treated 
as such, especially for political reasons."
The trial verdict is scheduled for September 6. In 99.8% of the 
cases Japanese judges convict the defendant - Greenpeace emphatically
hopes that this time is different. It will make sure the Japanese 
Government knows that the whole world, Switzerland included, is 
watching to see how Japan treats the two non-violent whale 
protectors.
For more information and press photos go to: 
www.greenpeace.org/switzerland/de/Uber-uns/Medienstelle or contact:
Bruno Heinzer, Oceans Campaign Greenpeace Switzerland, 
+41/79/400'88'31 Media Office Greenpeace Switzerland, 
+41/44/447'41'11
Press photos for downloading
login: Presse, password: Greenpeace
Videofootage (available from approx. 3 pm), FTP-Connection:
transfer.greenpeace.ch
User: bildextern, password: Nagufa85
Notes: 1) In January 2008, Greenpeace began an investigation into 
insider allegations that organised whale meat embezzlement was being 
conducted by crew inside Japan's so-called 'scientific' whaling 
programme, which is funded by Japanese taxpayers. The informer was 
previously involved in the whaling programme, and following his 
advice Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki began an investigation, 
eventually discovering firm proof that cardboard boxes containing 
whale meat were being secretly shipped to the homes of whaling fleet 
crew - and then sold for personal profit. Junichi delivered a box of 
this whale meat to the Tokyo Prosecutors' Office in May 2008, and 
filed a report of embezzlement. However, the embezzlement 
investigation was dropped on 20 June - the same day that both men 
were arrested and then held for 26 days, 23 of which were without 
charge. The prosecution has asked they be sentence to one year and 
six-months in prison for "theft" and "trespass".

Contact:

Bruno Heinzer
Oceans Campaign Greenpeace Switzerland
Mobile: +41/79/400'88'31

Media Office Greenpeace Switzerland
Phone: +41/44/447'41'11

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