Please help imprisoned Sea Shepherd activist – one petition

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Please release Dutch citizen Erwin Vermeulen from Japanese prison!

Background | From Vandaag.NL

On December 16th 2011, the Japanese police in Taiji arrested Sea Shepherd volunteer and Dutch citizen Erwin Vermeulen, while attempting to take photos of Risso’s dolphin being transferred between holding pens in the sea and the Dolphin Resort Hotel.

An employee of the Dolphin Resort Hotel merely accused Erwin of shoving him and this allegation was immediately acted upon. No witnesses saw Erwin shove the employee and Erwin was not even questioned. The Taiji police handcuffed Mr. Vermeulen and took him to the Shingu police station where he is currently being held. Recently his pre-arrest has been lengthened with 10 more days.

Out of compassion for the dolphins being slaughtered in Taiji, Mr. Vermeulen travelled to Japan at his own expense to devote his time and energy to the Cove Guardian mission. The Cove Guardian mission is to be ever present, recording every activity, and constantly on vigil in the face of the dolphin killers, day in and day out, for as long as dolphins are being killed. All Cove Guardians are cautioned that every move must be nonviolent and within the boundaries of Japanese law.

Erwin Vermeulen did not break any laws. But he was accused of doing so. Which law, we do not know, because the Japanese police refuse to divulge that information.

We, PiepVandaag and concerned citizens of The Netherlands, urge the Japanese ambassador in The Netherlands, Mr. Kazaki Koezuka to make any effort needed, to have Mr. Vermeulen, citizen of The Netherlands, released from prison immediately.

who really is the criminal here?
look at the blood red taiji
waters
the answer is quite clear
this man only tried to
save some cetacean
friends
jail is not where this
story should end
free erwin
and see to it
that the killing
is no more
or scores of
activists will
be forever
at your doors

Karen Lyons Kalmenson