NHK: Police arrest 2 Greenpeace members
This is being reported by NHK this morning:
Police in Japan have arrested 2 senior members of the Japanese branch of the environmental group Greenpeace on suspicion of theft of whale meat and unlawful entry. Police in Aomori prefecture arrested the 2 officials, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, on Friday morning, and raided the office of Greenpeace Japan in Tokyo.
The 2 men are suspected of removing a parcel without permission from a delivery service company in Aomori city in April. The parcel contained whale meat, which a crewmember of the Japanese whaling research ship Nisshin Maru had mailed to his home.
Greenpeace Japan revealed last month that it would file a complaint with Tokyo prosecutors against Nisshin Maru crewmembers for embezzlement of whale meat. The group said the box was one of at least 47 sent by Nisshin Maru crewmembers to their homes and other addresses.
It also said intercepting the box was not illegal, as it used the box as evidence, and had no intention of obtaining unjust benefit.
Tokyo prosecutors are expected to dismiss the case against Nisshin Maru crew, arguing that the crew had received the meat as a souvenir from a company that conducts research whaling commissioned by the Japanese government.
To support Greenpeace Japan, make an online donation
Read more about the Whale Meat Scandal
"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 by crew of the whaling fleet. 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," said Greenpeace Executive Director Jun Hoshikawa.
Police in Japan have arrested 2 senior members of the Japanese branch of the environmental group Greenpeace on suspicion of theft of whale meat and unlawful entry. Police in Aomori prefecture arrested the 2 officials, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, on Friday morning, and raided the office of Greenpeace Japan in Tokyo.
The 2 men are suspected of removing a parcel without permission from a delivery service company in Aomori city in April. The parcel contained whale meat, which a crewmember of the Japanese whaling research ship Nisshin Maru had mailed to his home.
Greenpeace Japan revealed last month that it would file a complaint with Tokyo prosecutors against Nisshin Maru crewmembers for embezzlement of whale meat. The group said the box was one of at least 47 sent by Nisshin Maru crewmembers to their homes and other addresses.
It also said intercepting the box was not illegal, as it used the box as evidence, and had no intention of obtaining unjust benefit.
Tokyo prosecutors are expected to dismiss the case against Nisshin Maru crew, arguing that the crew had received the meat as a souvenir from a company that conducts research whaling commissioned by the Japanese government.
To support Greenpeace Japan, make an online donation
Read more about the Whale Meat Scandal
"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 by crew of the whaling fleet. 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," said Greenpeace Executive Director Jun Hoshikawa.
Comments
Thanks for posting this. 40 police officers spent ten hours in the Greenpeace Japan office seizing cell phones, computers, servers, and documents. This wasn't a police action, it was intimidation.
--b