Canadian Activists Protest T2 Verdict

Greenpeace activists hold a vigil at the Japanese Consulate in Montreal, with banners saying "Activism is not a crime" in English and French. They also display photos of the "Tokyo Two," and hold signs shaped like whale tails. The event is held to protest the verdict against the activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki who exposed widespread corruption in the Japanese government’s Southern Ocean whaling programme. The two activists were convicted of theft and trespass after carrying out a public interest investigation into embezzlement, during which they intercepted as evidence one of numerous boxes of whale meat coming from the whaling factory ship the Nisshin Maru and destined for private use, which breaches the regulations of the taxpayer-funded programme. The case of Sato and Suzuki has generated significant international attention, from senior political figures, including Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, international human rights groups and legal experts.