"These 10,000 signatures are a demonstration that the people of
India care about the future of the planet's whales, and they want
justice to be done in the case of the trial of Junichi and Toru",
said Usha Saxena, Greenpeace India, after handing over the
signatures to the Japanese embassy. "It is the government-funded
whaling programme that should be on trial, and not those who expose
illegalities in it!"
The first day of the trial left the prosecution struggling to
prove its own arguments, with their witnesses being forced to agree
with the Sato and Suzuki's defence counsel on key points.
The head of sales for Kyodo Senpaku - the company contracted by
the government to run the whaling fleet, admitted under defence
cross examination that "souvenirs" of whale meat were given to
crew, but the cost was not accounted for in financial statements,
despite the whaling programme being a government funded project. He
also admitted under oath that souvenirs are no longer given to
officials, following the Greenpeace allegations in 2008.
"Junichi and Toru's evidence about the exposure of embezzlement
of public funds has remained the same for the last eighteen months,
but the story offered by the prosecution witnesses does not stand
up to even one day of scrutiny," said Sanjiv Gopal from Greenpeace
India who is currently in Japan as part of the global campaign
team, to ensure that the Tokyo Two receive a fair trial. "It is
clear that the official version of the truth cannot be trusted and
the original investigation begun by Junichi and Toru must be
immediately re-opened."
The trial has attracted international media attention and the
support of numerous human rights groups, lawyers, politicians and
over a quarter of a million people who have signed a demand to end
the prosecution. The United Nations Human Rights Council's Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention recently rendered an opinion that the
previous Japanese government's treatment of Sato and Suzuki had
breached their human rights - the first time the Working Group has
given such an opinion in Japan.
"This trial is not just about a box of whale meat, it is about
respect for human rights, upholding international law and having
the freedom to carry out legitimate public interest
investigations," added Dr Kumi Naidoo Greenpeace International
Executive Director. "It is vital that Prime Minster Hatoyama shows
the world that his government is brave enough to be a true
democracy."
The trial hearing will reconvene on March 8th when the defence
witnesses will be called, including crew members of the whaling
fleet and international law expert Professor Dirk Voorhoof.
Testimony is due to last four days. It is expected that the closing
statements will be delivered on May 14th and a verdict sent down in
June, on a date to be decided.
For further information, contact
INDIA: Areeba Hamid, Oceans Campaigner, +91 99005 69456, 
Greg McNevin - Greenpeace International Communications, +81 (0)80 5416 6506, 
Sanjiv Gopal – Tokyo Two Campaign Coordinator (Japan) +81-80-3017 0046, 
Notes to Editor
1. The full Opinion of the Working Group can be found at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/tokyo-two/wgad-opinion
2. In January 2008, Greenpeace began an investigation into whistleblower 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 before being charged with theft and trespass. They are currently facing up to ten years in prison for their actions.
3. As of 4 pm, 16/2/2010, 10,938 Indians have signed the pledge demanding a fair trial for Sato and Suzuki.