Russian Greenpeace activists have stretched a banner in front of
the Japanese Embassy in Moscow demanding the prosecution of
Japanese whalers instead of the employees of Greenpeace.
In May 2008 activists of Greenpeace in Japan proved how large
quantities of Japanese whale meat was "washed" by employees of a
whaling company and illegally sold further at the black market. One
of the illegal boxes of meat was handed in by the activists at the
public prosecutor's office. As an outcome of the prosecutors
investigation employees of Green Peace was arrested. Two of them
are now accused of "stealing" the whale meat proving the illegal
whaling business. The employees of the whaling company accused by
Greenpeace, struggling with corruption and leakage of whale meat to
the black market, are not deprived of their freedom for the illegal
trading.
The prosecuted employees of Greenpeace are now the ones accused
of illegal sale of whale meat. In case the judge declares them
guilty a punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment may be
executed. - None of the arrested persons had any intentions to
receive any personal benefit, claims Juichi Kejdo lawyer of the
prosecuted employees.
- If they are declared guilty, this would contradict the UN
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, concludes Kejdo.
The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was ratified by Japan
1979 and obliges the state to guarantee detained citizens the right
of self-expression and the right to inform.
A letter demanding assistance in the struggle for an independent
investigation of the case has been transferred to the Russian
ambassador in Japan, the representative of the Russian Federation
in the International Whaling Commission and the head of Russia's
Federal Fishery Agency.
An international campaign supporting the Japanese whale
protection activists kicked of in Japan last week. Further actions
are already executed by activists in Germany, Holland, Australia,
New Zealand, France, Finland, Mexico, Brazil, India, France,
Mexico, Brazil, USA, Canada, China, Italy, Spain, Greece and
Scandinavia.