South African Activists Protest T2 Verdict

Yoshimi Yanai, Second Secretary at the Japanese Embassy speaks to Greenpeace activists taking part in a protest outside the embassy in Pretoria. The activists are protesting 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 have become known as the "Tokyo Two."

Unique identifier: GP026AE

Type: Image

Shoot date: 06/09/2010

Locations: Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Credit line: © Shayne Robinson / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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South African Activists Protest Tokyo Two Verdict

Outside the Japanese embassy in Pretoria, Greenpeace activists holds signs saying "Activism is not a crime" (in Japanese and English) to protest the verdict against the activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki (known as the "Tokyo Two") 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.

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Tokyo Two Stand Trial (Photo & Videos)

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