ID :
16280
Mon, 08/18/2008 - 22:16
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/16280
The shortlink copeid
Police obtain arrest warrants for 3 Sea Shepherd activists
TOKYO, Aug. 18 Kyodo - Tokyo police obtained arrest warrants Monday for three environmental activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for interference with Japan's whaling activities in the Antarctic Ocean in February last year.
Following the Tokyo District Court's issuance of the warrants, the three men -- two with U.S. nationality aged 30 and 41, and a 28-year-old Briton -- will beplaced on an international wanted list, the police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department criticized Sea Shepherd's activities as being ''extremely malicious'' and ''equivalent to terrorism,'' while referring to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Act against Vessels at Seafor the first time.
While anti-whaling activists have repeatedly disrupted Japan's so-called research whaling activities since around 2000, it is the first time that policehave taken action to press criminal charges.
But it is uncertain whether the Japanese police will be able to arrest the suspects unless they are caught in the United States, South Korea or othercountries that have an extradition treaty with Japan.
The Japanese government regards the action by the police as being a ''natural'' response, saying the government wants Sea Shepherd and other organizations not to resort to violence in pressing their anti-waling claims, according to ChiefCabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura.
''We would like (Sea Shepherd) to strictly keep from undertaking physical activities regardless of what kind of thinking (it) has on whaling,'' the topgovernment spokesman said at a news conference.
''I believe the international community holds the shared view that a situation where physical interference causes injuries or threatens lives of those involved should not be forgiven, no matter what sort of arguments (SeaShepherd) has,'' Machimura said.
The MPD alleges that the three men halted a ship belonging to Japan's whaling fleet in international waters south of New Zealand on Feb. 12 last year bygetting a rope caught in the ship's propeller.
The three are also suspected of throwing smoke candles onto the ship, the KaikoMaru, the MPD said.
Additionally, the Kaiko Maru was hit by a Sea Shepherd ship after beingsandwiched between it and another Sea Shepherd vessel.
But the MPD decided not to build cases against Sea Shepherd on suspicion of inflicting minor injuries earlier to two crew members of the Nisshin Maru -- the lead ship of the Japanese whaling fleet -- after throwing a foul-smelling acid onto the ship -- because the police found it difficult to identify thesuspects.
The Japan Coast Guard is investigating a separate case in March this year which involved injury to two Japan Coast Guard officials and a Nisshin Maru crew member after Sea Shepherd activists tossed several bottles of rotten butter,commonly known as butyric acid, at the ship.
Japan halted commercial whaling in 1986 in line with an international moratorium, but has been hunting whales since 1987 for what it calls scientific research purposes. Environmentalists condemn the move as a cover for commercialwhaling.
Sea Shepherd was established in 1977, and is based in the state of Washingtonin the United States.
Following the Tokyo District Court's issuance of the warrants, the three men -- two with U.S. nationality aged 30 and 41, and a 28-year-old Briton -- will beplaced on an international wanted list, the police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department criticized Sea Shepherd's activities as being ''extremely malicious'' and ''equivalent to terrorism,'' while referring to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Act against Vessels at Seafor the first time.
While anti-whaling activists have repeatedly disrupted Japan's so-called research whaling activities since around 2000, it is the first time that policehave taken action to press criminal charges.
But it is uncertain whether the Japanese police will be able to arrest the suspects unless they are caught in the United States, South Korea or othercountries that have an extradition treaty with Japan.
The Japanese government regards the action by the police as being a ''natural'' response, saying the government wants Sea Shepherd and other organizations not to resort to violence in pressing their anti-waling claims, according to ChiefCabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura.
''We would like (Sea Shepherd) to strictly keep from undertaking physical activities regardless of what kind of thinking (it) has on whaling,'' the topgovernment spokesman said at a news conference.
''I believe the international community holds the shared view that a situation where physical interference causes injuries or threatens lives of those involved should not be forgiven, no matter what sort of arguments (SeaShepherd) has,'' Machimura said.
The MPD alleges that the three men halted a ship belonging to Japan's whaling fleet in international waters south of New Zealand on Feb. 12 last year bygetting a rope caught in the ship's propeller.
The three are also suspected of throwing smoke candles onto the ship, the KaikoMaru, the MPD said.
Additionally, the Kaiko Maru was hit by a Sea Shepherd ship after beingsandwiched between it and another Sea Shepherd vessel.
But the MPD decided not to build cases against Sea Shepherd on suspicion of inflicting minor injuries earlier to two crew members of the Nisshin Maru -- the lead ship of the Japanese whaling fleet -- after throwing a foul-smelling acid onto the ship -- because the police found it difficult to identify thesuspects.
The Japan Coast Guard is investigating a separate case in March this year which involved injury to two Japan Coast Guard officials and a Nisshin Maru crew member after Sea Shepherd activists tossed several bottles of rotten butter,commonly known as butyric acid, at the ship.
Japan halted commercial whaling in 1986 in line with an international moratorium, but has been hunting whales since 1987 for what it calls scientific research purposes. Environmentalists condemn the move as a cover for commercialwhaling.
Sea Shepherd was established in 1977, and is based in the state of Washingtonin the United States.
