Environment

Tokyo Two J. Sato, T. Suzuki to Stand Trial Feb. 15

by Barbara McPherson | February 10, 2010 at 10:47 am

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The two Greenpeace activists, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, also known as the Tokyo Two, that exposed corruption in the Japanese whaling industry are to go on trial charged with theft and trespass. According to the Greenpeace news release this trial and the actions leading up to it have been politically motivated. Amnesty Internation has expressed concern about the prosecution of these two. A ruling by the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has made statements regarding the treatment of Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki.
UNHRC'S Statement

The UNHRC’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention informed the Japanese government in December that its treatment of Junichi and Toru breached no fewer than five articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The working group also recognised the following facts.

The spotlight is on Japan and its policy towards the whaling industry. Currently the Japanese whaling fleet is in the Southern Ocean undertaking "research whaling" and being dogged by Sea Shepherd activists who are trying to prevent whales being killed. Sea Shepherd Society has lost one ship to collision and had another damaged in the fray.