Greenpeace Japan whale campaign coordinator Junichi Sato, with the whale meat that was stolen from Japanese taxpayers, and which he provided as evidence to the government -- only to be arrested and charged for doing so.
Late last evening, a panel of three judges in Aomori, Japan, granted the release of Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, after an attempt by the local prosecutor to appeal the same decision made earlier in the day. Only 10% of bail applications are successful in Japan. The two will be reunited with their families later today. Their trial date has not yet been set.
"We are extremely relieved that our two activists have finally been released. However, our biggest question remains unanswered: why did the Japanese Prosecutor drop his investigation into the compelling evidence of whale meat embezzlement by whaling crew members brought to him by Greenpeace?" said Frode Pleym of Greenpeace.
Earlier this year, working from information given by former and current employees of whaling fleet operator Kyodo Senpaku, Greenpeace tracked the offloading of smuggled whale meat from the factory ship Nisshin Maru destined for crew members' homes. One of four boxes destined for the same private address was intercepted and the contents checked. This box, containing up to US$3000 worth of prime meat, but labelled as containing "cardboard", was displayed at a press conference on May 15th, before being turned over to the Tokyo District public prosecutor, who suddenly dropped his investigation on June 10, the day the two activists were arrested.
"We call on the Government to reinstate its investigation into the corruption in the whaling fleet," said Pleym. "What Greenpeace has exposed points clearly to a very big scandal at Japanese taxpayers' expense and in clear breach of international rules concerning Japans so-called scientific whaling programme."
Since the two activists were arrested, there has been a growing outcry over their detention. More than 30 non-Governmental organisations have signed up to a statement of concern.
On Monday, Amnesty International sent a strongly worded letter to the Japanese Prime Minister demanding the release of Junichi and Toru. Nearly a quarter of a million people have sent a message to the Japanese Government calling for the two to be released and for a renewed investigation into the whale meat embezzlement scandal, this was backed by 35 protests at Japanese embassies and consulates in 31 countries.
Greenpeace Japan whale campaign coordinator Junichi Sato, with the whale meat that was stolen from Japanese taxpayers, and which he provided as evidence to the government -- only to be arrested.
The box of the most expensive cuts of whale meat had been illicitlyremoved by crew of the Nisshin Maru, the whaling factory ship,following this year's Southern Ocean whale hunt. Its contents weremarked "cardboard" and it was shipped to a private address. Tracked byour investigators, it was intercepted and turned over to the PublicProsecutor in Tokyo, as evidence of wide-scale corruption at the heartof the whaling operation in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
We requested an investigation into the scandal, and the PublicProsecutor agreed that there was sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. In light of evidence that the operators of the whaling operation wereaware of the scandal and did nothing, we asked that the investigationnot focus on crew, but on the bureaucrats who run the whaling programmeat public expense. Instead, Japanese police arrested the Greenpeaceactivists in a show of force, occupying the Greenpeace offices with 40police for more than 10 hours while they seized computers, documents,and cell phones.
The Japanese whaling programme costs the Japanese taxpayer 500 million yen per year (around 4.7 million US dollars).
UPDATE 21 June 2008
The Tokyo District Prosecutor Office announced that it has been unable to find evidence of the embezzlement and that the investigation into crew and whaling officials has been dropped.
Clearly this has been a difficult investigation for the Prosecutor's Office when the level of corruption runs so deep in the whaling industry, an industry backed by powerful forces within the government. However, some questions remain unanswered:
- If Kyodo Senpaku, the company that operates the whaling ships, was legally giving out whale meat to the crew then why did they change their story three times in almost as many days?
- Why did the crew lie about the contents of the boxes containing the meat, claiming that they contained cardboard when in fact they were stuffed full of prime whale meat cuts worth tens of thousands of dollars?
- And why, before the scandal was exposed, did an official of the Japanese Fisheries agency claim that whale meat was never given to crew?
Read the full dossier of evidence, and decide for yourself
UPDATE 22 June 2008 At a hearing this morning, the "Tokyo Two" have been ordered held another ten days without charge. We are appealing that decision tomorrow. In the meantime, our lawyer believes that the number of people who have written demanding their release -- nearly 50,000 at this writing -- could help their case considerably.
UPDATE 23 June 2008 Our appeal has been rejected, and Junichi and Toru have been ordered to spend a further 9 days in jail without charge. Under Japanese law, they can be held for up to 23 days without charge. More than 100,000 people have now taken our global cyberaction demanding their release. Please, if you have not already, take action and encourage others to do so as well: http://www.greenpeace.org/tokyo-two
"This is the backlash," said Greenpeace Executive Director Jun Hoshikawa. "We've uncovered a scandal involving powerful forces in the Japanese government that benefit from whaling, and it's not surprising they are striking back. What is surprising is that these activists, who are innocent of any crime, would be arrested for returning whale meat that was stolen from Japanese taxpayers. In whose interest were these arrests made? Because it would appear to us that this is an intimidation tactic by the government agencies responsible for a scandal."
Intimidation tactics
Our first news that an arrest was imminent came from Japanese television stations. Someone leaked the information to ensure images of Greenpeace activists under arrest appeared on news reports in Japan.
More than 40 police officers raided our offices and the homes of the activists, and spent 10 hours seizing cell phones, documents, and computers, despite the fact that we had documented every step of how we obtained the whale meat, turned the full dossier over with the evidence, and made ourselves available to police to help with the investigation at any time. A simple phone call could have brought Junichi and Toru to the police station. Instead, the government made a public spectacle of shutting Greenpeace down.
The investigation
Our four-month undercover investigation revealed evidence of an embezzlement ring involving crew members on board the Nisshin Maru, who were openly taking the best cuts of whale meat during the so-called scientific hunt, smuggling it ashore disguised as personal luggage and then passing it to traders for illegal sales.
Working from information given by former and current Kyodo Senpaku employees, we documented the off-loading of smuggled whale meat into a special truck, in full view of Kyodo Senpaku officials and crew members when the Nisshin Maru docked on April 15th, this year.
The consignment was documented by our team once it left the ship and tracked to a depot in Tokyo. One of four boxes destined for the same private address was then intercepted in order to verify the contents and establish the fraud.
The consignment notes claimed the box contained "cardboard" but in reality it held 23.5kg of salted 'prime' whale meat, worth up to US$3,000. One informer told Greenpeace that dozens of crew take as many as 20 boxes each. One crewmember was overheard to claim he had built a house on the proceeds from his whale-meat sales over the years.
Official denials
On May 8th, before the scandal broke, Takahide Naruko, an official with the Japanese FisheriesAgency, was asked by investigators whether sailors "bring back somewhale meat as private souvenirs," to which he replied "Of course not,"explaining that the distribution of whale meat was only throughofficial channels, at a price set by the Fisheries Agency to offset thecosts of the publicly funded whaling programme.
Following the revelations, Kyodo Senpaku, the company that runs the whaling ship, also at first denied that any whale meat was beinggiven away or sold outside official channels, then changed their storyto claim that some "souvenirs" were given to crew members. Even so,these souvenirs were described to be a few kilos of frozen whale meat-- very different from 23.5 kilos of prime cuts uncoveredby Greenpeace, which the crew salt-pickle in their cabins.
On May 28th, an editorial in Asahi Shinbum noted thecontradiction between claims by the Institute for Cetacean Researchthat souvenirs were being handed out, and the claims by Kyodo Senpakuthat they were not. The newspaper called the "contrived explanations"suspicious and asked for a full investigation.
"The whaling programme in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is funded by the Japanese taxpayers, including the Greenpeace activists who have been arrested, and they have a right to know who is profiting from their money," said Mister Hoshikawa.
"The Japanese whaling programme has been shamed internationally for its lack of scientific credibility, now it is being shamed at home as well for trying to hide the corruption, and now for taking revenge on those who have exposed it. The Greenpeace activists should be immediately released."
Take action
Demand the release of Junichi and Toru, and an end to Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Donate
Your donations help us keep our activists in the field. They also help get them out of jail. Please give whatever you can.
Greenpeace Japan whale campaign coordinator Junichi Sato, with whale meat that was stolen from Japanese taxpayers, and which he provided as evidence to the government -- only to be arrested and charged for doing so.
They exposed the whale-meat embezzlement scandal on May 15th, when they presented a box of whale meat stolen by crew of Japan's so-called "scientific whaling" fleet to the Tokyo Public Prosecutor. A dossier documenting how the box was intercepted during the four month long Greenpeace investigation was also submitted to the Tokyo Public Prosecutor.
The scam, in which prime cuts of whale meat are smuggled off the ship by crew members and sold outside official channels - for personal profit, appears to have been running for years, with the full awareness of the officials that conduct the whaling expeditions.
"Instead of prosecuting peaceful protesters and those who exposed crimes within the whaling programme, the government of Japan should revoke all Southern Ocean whaling permits, release the activists and order an immediate and independent investigation into the embezzlement scandal."
Gerd Leipold, Executive Director, Greenpeace International
However, it appears that powerful forces within Japan's government don't want scrutiny of the whaling industry. On the day the activists were arrested, the Public Prosecutor dropped the investigation into the whaling industry, claiming there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against any of the crew or whaling officials.
Also, on the day the activists were arrested, more than 40 police officers raided the offices of Greenpeace Japan - watched by the media, who had been tipped off by the police - and spent ten hours seizing cell phones, documents, and computers. Given that we had already submitted a dossier detailing how the box was taken and why, and promised our full support with any investigation, a simple phone call would have been enough to bring Junichi and Toru to the police station.
"From the beginning it has been clear that the arrest and detention of the Junichi and Toru has been politically motivated, and that powerful forces within the Japanese establishment are attempting to silence legitimate peaceful protest, in order to protect the so-called scientific whaling programme," said Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International Executive Director.
"We have exposed a scandal at the heart of the whaling programme, involving embezzlement of valuable cuts of whale meat, and we have highlighted the massive waste of Japanese taxpayers' money on the annual so-called scientific hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," he continued.
"Instead of prosecuting peaceful protesters and those who exposed crimes within the whaling programme, the government of Japan should revoke all Southern Ocean whaling permits, release the activists and order an immediate and independent investigation into the embezzlement scandal."
There's been massive global reaction to the arrest of Junichi and Toru. Some 30 environmental and human rights organizations have either put their names to an NGO (Non-Governmental Organsiation) statement of protest, or sent letters of support, including Amnesty International, the Lawyers Network for Human Rights Observation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, InArticle 19, Transparency International, Oceana, Ubuntu, and Oxfam. A network of Japanese lawyers has called the arrests a "violation of human rights", and "a challenge to the freedom of expression in Japan".
Almost quarter of a million of you have sent letters to the Japanese Government calling for the release of Junichi and Toru and demanding a full investigation into the whale meat embezzlement scandal. Protests have been held outside Japanese embassies and consulates in 35 cities across 30 countries.
We're still working hard to get Junichi and Toru out of detention, so if you haven't written to the Japanese government yet, please do so!
The investigation
Our four-month undercover investigation revealed evidence of an embezzlement ring involving crew members on board the Nisshin Maru, who were openly taking the best cuts of whale meat during the so-called scientific hunt, smuggling it ashore disguised as personal luggage and then passing it to traders for illegal sales and personal profit.
Working from information given by former and current Kyodo Senpaku employees, we documented the off-loading of smuggled whale meat into a special truck, in full view of Kyodo Senpaku officials and crew members when the Nisshin Maru docked on April 15th, this year.
The consignment was documented by our team once it left the ship and tracked to a depot in Tokyo. One of four boxes destined for the same private address was then intercepted in order to verify the contents and establish the fraud.
The consignment notes claimed the box contained "cardboard" but in reality it held 23.5kg of salted 'prime' whale meat, worth up to US$3,000. One informer told Greenpeace that dozens of crew take as many as 20 boxes each. One crewmember was overheard to claim he had built a house on the proceeds from his whale-meat sales over the years.
Recent stories in the whale meat dossier
Global protest over arrest of Japanese whale activists
Outrage: Greenpeace whale meat scandal whistleblowers arrested in Japan
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Send a letter to support Junichi and Toru!
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Greenpeace today peacefully demonstrated in front of the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa to demand justice for two Greenpeace activists who have been unnecessarily detained in Japan for exposing a major scandal involving whale meat.
The demonstration at 255 Sussex Drive in Ottawa was part of a series of peaceful protests at some 20 Japanese embassies around the world calling for the immediate release of Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki.
In addition to the demonstrations, Greenpeace is encouraging people to send emails of protest to the Japanese government. So far, more than 180,000 emails have been sent to the Japanese Government calling for the release of the activists, dubbed the Tokyo Two.
Greenpeace activists protested the ongoing jail sentence served by fellow activists in Japan. The event took place in front of the Japanese embassy in Ottawa. Greenpeace is demanding the release of the two activist and investigations into the real criminal scandal involving stolen whale meat and the Japanese government-backed industry.
Total Letters sent globally
The demonstration at 255 Sussex Drive in Ottawa was part of a
series of peaceful protests at some 20 Japanese embassies around
the world calling for the immediate release of Junichi Sato and
Toru Suzuki.
In addition to the demonstrations, Greenpeace is encouraging
people to send emails of protest to the Japanese government. So
far, more than 180,000 emails have been sent to the Japanese
Government calling for the release of the activists, dubbed the
Tokyo Two.
In Ottawa, Greenpeace representatives delivered a letter to the
Japanese Ambassador to Canada, Tsuneo Nishida, from the Executive
Director in Canada, Bruce Cox, calling for the immediate release of
Sato and Suzuki. A petition signed by thousands of Canadians who
support the call for their release was also delivered. The letter
urges Ambassador Nishida to intercede with his government on behalf
of the Greenpeace activists in Japan.
The Oceans Coordinator for Greenpeace Canada, Beth Hunter,
attended the protest and said:"Sato and Suzuki are courageous
individuals who acted to expose a fraud. They must be released
immediately."
From behind bars
Thank you everyone for your support and vigilance over the last
days. Thank you to the 185,000 of you who have sent the email to
the Japanese Government asking for our release, and those of you
who have sent it to their friends. We have heard from our lawyers
about how many emails have been sent, and it reminds us that we are
not alone. Thank you also those who mounted peaceful protests and
vigils at Japanese Embassies around the world calling for justice
for myself and Toru and justice for the whales.' It helps us to
know that so many are thinking of us and of the fate of the
whales.
We STILL need your help. We have been ordered
to remain in custody for a total of 23 days -- the maximum allowed
under Japanese law --without being charged with any crime.
Please encourage your friends to send an email if they have not
already. Keep watching for news from Greenpeace of more actions you
can take and make sure that the global demand for our release and
to investigate the whale meat scandal we exposed, is heard loud and
clear here in Japan.
With hope and thanks.
Junichi Sato, Whale Campaign Coordinator Greenpeace
Japan
Latest updates
July 3, 2008Ten More Days Custody Without Charge for Greenpeace
Japan Activists
Japanese police conducted an unprecedented raid on Greenpeace's
Japanese headquarters in Tokyo and on the homes of activists
earlier this month. They arrested activists Sato and Suzuki for
exposing an embezzlement ring at the heart of the Japanese
government's so-called scientific whaling program. The police raids
came on the eve of the meeting of the International Whaling
Commission in Chile at which Japan again campaigned for a
resumption of commercial whaling.
Take Action - Help free the Greenpeace
activists
Japan continues to skirt the international moratorium on whaling
by giving itself a special permit to kill about 1,000 whales a
year.
Before the police raid, Sato and Suzuki had cooperated with
Japanese police, offered them information and provided a box of
whale meat as evidence to officials that there is an ongoing
operation to illegally sell whale meat at the expense of Japanese
taxpayers.
After a four-month investigation, Greenpeace asked the Japanese
government for a full investigation. The Tokyo public prosecutor
initially said there was sufficient evidence for an investigation
but ruled out an inquiry after the police raids. Greenpeace
provided Ambassador Nishida with a dossier on the investigation by
Sato and Suzuki.
Cox said in his letter to Ambassador Nishida that: "The
unnecessary detention of Greenpeace activists for exposing
corruption in whaling along with the Japanese whaling program in
the Southern Ocean have brought global attention to Japan, casting
a dark shadow over the international reputation of your Government,
just days before you host the G8 ministers meeting.
"It is a fundamental element of democracy that the rights of
whistleblowers who expose scandals be protected.
"We ask you to make urgent representation to your Prime Minister
on this issue and ask for a further investigation into the scandal
exposed by Greenpeace and for the immediate release of Sato and
Suzuki."
Greenpeace International Executive Director Gerd Leipold.has
said: "The response by the Japanese authorities can only be
described as excessive, unjust and politically motivated. Junichi
and Toru provided statements to the police about their activities
when they exposed the whale meat embezzlement ring within the
Japanese Whaling fleet. At the time they offered their full
cooperation for any investigation, yet they are now being held
without charge and without bail.