Tokyo two Pre-trail hearings continue: A proper defence requires all the evidence says Greenpeace

Aomori, Japan, August 4, 2009 – While over three million visitors are hitting the streets of Aomori to see the colourful floats of the Nebuta festival, the Tokyo Two defence counsel is in court wrangling over the disclosure of important evidence.

The ongoing trial against Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki has seen the prosecution work to conceal as much evidence as possible. This strategy appears to be running out of steam, however, as the Aomori court this week directed the prosecutor to disclose all evidence relating to the case to the judges, so they can decide if it is relevant for inclusion in the case.

Greenpeace is confident that when the judges read all of the prosecution's evidence they will not only see that Junichi and Toru are innocent of any crime, but that their actions were in the greater public interest as they sought to expose criminal embezzlement within the taxpayer-funded whaling industry.

"There is a growing international concern about the case of the Tokyo Two," said international human rights lawyer Richard Harvey. "This is not just about whaling, nor human rights in Japan. It is about the rights of all citizens to investigate and expose evidence of public officials suspected of corruption and embezzlement.

"International law requires that Junichi and Toru be allowed to present all documents and relevant evidence in the case so that the court and the public will have a clear understanding of the reasons for their actions," added Harvey.

"We in the international human rights community therefore look to the Aomori Court to ensure that all their rights of defence are respected and to make clear to the world that all they have ever sought to do was to expose public corruption."

Due to the issues surrounding the disclosure of evidence, the court has again extended the pre-trial process with another hearing on November 20.

While the court debates the disclosure of evidence, Greenpeace activists in traditional Japanese Yukata dress have distributed over 6,500 fans calling on the Japanese public to support a fair trial for the Junichi and Toru.

If this is to be a fair trial and the court is determined to uphold the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Japan is a party to, then Greenpeace hopes that it will order the full disclosure of all evidence related to the Tokyo Two case.

Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.

Japanese court to hear evidence on whale meat embezzlement

Aomori, Japan, May 15, 2009 -- The Aomori district court today delivered a setback to the Japanese government's attempts to cover up an embezzlement scandal in the so-called "scientific" Southern Ocean whaling programme. The court has agreed to hear key evidence the
prosecution has fought to keep out of the trial of Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki.

Sato and Suzuki are being prosecuted, and risk up to ten years in jail if convicted, after they exposed a major corruption scandal surrounding the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme. The two removed a box of embezzled whale meat from a mail
depot, and presented it to Japan's Public Prosecutor to prove the existence of corruption in the government-subsidised whaling programme.

The prosecutor had tried to paint the actions of the defendants as a simple case of theft, arguing that all evidence related to the underlying embezzlement scandal should be ruled irrelevant. The court, however, indicated that the evidence of embezzlement will have a place in the trial.

"In this trial, we want to establish that what Junichi and Toru did was to corroborate information provided by whistleblowers regarding embezzlement within the Kyodo Senpaku whaling fleet," said defence lawyer Yuichi Kaido.

"With the prosecutor's opinion being rejected by the court, we have gained a foothold in this case and the opportunity to prove that there was indeed embezzlement of whale meat by employees."

Furthermore, the court also requested the disclosure of additional evidence of embezzlement held by the prosecutor's office that has not yet been made public. This could possibly include key statements made to police by employees of Kyodo Senpaku, the company contracted to
carry out the Southern Ocean whaling programme.

"The government was hoping to bury this scandal by putting the messengers on trial," said Jun Hoshikawa, Greenpeace Japan Executive Director. "However, as more evidence of embezzlement comes to light, at the end of the day it will be whaling that is on trial."