日本警察單位發出逮捕令 控告反捕鯨行動 | 環境資訊中心
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日本警察單位發出逮捕令 控告反捕鯨行動

2008年08月25日
摘譯自2008年8月20日,ENS美國,日本東京報導,吳萃慧編譯,蔡麗伶審校

海洋看守行動協會的船長康麥理森、瓦特森站在協會的船隻法利莫瓦號旁,船舷上繪製著骷髏頭的圖樣;圖片來源:SSCS日本警察單位對三名參與海洋看守保育協會(Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)行動的船員發出國際逮捕令,這些船員在2006至2007年的捕鯨季節干擾在南極海(Southern Ocean)的日本捕鯨船。

東京都警察部(Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department)的公共安全局(Public Safety Bureau)控告這個反捕鯨團體的兩名美國及一名英國船員強行阻礙商業行為,並表示這項逮捕令將會把他們列入國際刑事警察組織(International Criminal Police Organization)的國際通緝犯名單中。這紙逮捕令是發出給美國籍的貝契勒(Jon Batchelor)及庫烏博士(Dr. Ralph Koo)及英國籍的貝巴威(Daniel Bebawi)。

東京都警察部宣稱這三人在2007年2月12日企圖以一條繩索卡住捕鯨船海光丸號(Kaiko Maru)的螺旋槳推進器。根據「每日新聞(Mainichi Daily News)」的報導:「這是第一次因為破壞日本研究補鯨船而成立刑事案件」。

海洋看守行動領袖兼協會總裁及資助者的瓦特森(Paul Watson)船長表示:「令我百思不解的是日本警察竟然會將矛頭指向三名相對而言無足輕重的船員,我身為船長,所有海洋看守保育協會成員都必須依照我的指示行動。我要對所有對抗日本捕鯨船艦非法行動的活動負全責,然而卻還沒有任何告訴是衝著我來的,這真是荒謬並且令人匪夷所思。」

瓦特森說道:「我們是海洋警察,我們針對的是那些違反國際法律非法掠奪海洋生命的罪犯。如果日本警察成功地逮捕這三名的任何一位,我們將會讓法庭成為論壇,使日本持續進行的非法捕鯨活動成為國際關注的焦點。」

被指控的船員中,30歲的貝契勒是一名來自華盛頓州的林業顧問,41歲的庫烏是一名加州沙加緬度(Sacramento)的急診室醫師,28歲的貝巴威則來自英格蘭諾丁漢(Nottingham)。這項控訴是起源自瓦特森所說日本捕鯨船海丸號衝撞海洋看守保育船羅柏杭特號(Robert Hunter)的事件。但擁有並航行這艘捕鯨船的日本官方機構鯨類研究所(Institute for Cetacean Research)卻控告羅柏杭特號衝撞他們的海丸號。

這場衝撞發生在2007年2月12日,海丸號在南極海被海洋看守保育協會的船隻所攔截,當時海丸號正在追逐一群鯨魚,協會的攔截行動讓這些鯨魚得以趁機逃脫。這場衝撞被羅柏杭特號上的船員以影片記錄下來,這是在荷蘭籍船長康麥理森(Alex Cornelissen)指示下所進行的。當時,瓦特森船長正在鄰近的協會第二艘船法利莫瓦號(Farley Mowat)上。這件衝撞事件由澳洲聯邦警察單位進行調查。

Japanese Police Issue Arrest Warrants for Anti-Whaling Activists
TOKYO, Japan, August 20, 2008 (ENS)

The Japanese police have issued international arrest warrants against three crewmembers who participated in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's campaign to interfere with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean during the 2006-2007 whaling season.

The Public Safety Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department accuses two Americans and one British member of the anti-whaling group of forcible obstruction of business and says it intends to place them on an international wanted list through the International Criminal Police Organization.

Warrants have been issued for Jon Batchelor and Dr. Ralph Koo of the United States and Daniel Bebawi of the United Kingdom. The Metropolitan Police Department alleges the three men attempted to jam the propeller of the whaling vessel Kaiko Maru with a rope on February 12, 2007.

"It is the first time that a criminal case has been established for sabotage against Japanese research whaling ships," according to the "Mainichi Daily News."

"It's a mystery to me why the Japanese police would target three relatively minor crewmembers," said Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd campaign leader and the organization's president and founder. "As captain, all Sea Shepherd crewmembers act in accordance with my orders."

"All activities opposing the illegal actions of the Japanese whaling fleet are my responsibility, yet no charges have been filed against me," said Watson. "This is absurd and makes no sense at all."

"We are the sea-cops and our targets are criminals who illegally plunder the oceans of life in violation of international laws. If the Japanese police succeed in arresting any of these three men we will use the courts as a forum to focus international attention on Japan's continued illegal whaling activities," said Watson.

Batchelor, 30, is a forestry consultant from Washington state, and Koo, 41, is an emergency physician in Sacramento, California. Bebawi, 28 is from Nottingham, England.

The charges stem from an incident where Watson says the Japanese whaling vessel Keiko Maru rammed the Sea Shepherd ship Robert Hunter.

The Institute for Cetacean Research, the Japanese government agency that owns and operates the whaling ships, has accused the Robert Hunter of ramming the Kaiko Maru.

The collisions occurred February 12, 2007 after the Kaiko Maru was intercepted by the Sea Shepherd ship in the Southern Ocean as it was chasing a pod of whales, which allowed the whales to escape.

The collisions were documented by a film crew onboard the Robert Hunter, which was under the command of Captain Alex Cornelissen of the Netherlands. At the time, Captain Watson was nearby onboard a second Sea Shepherd vessel, the Farley Mowat. The ramming was investigated by the Australian Federal police.

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.