By Kate R.
Posted on Feb. 18, 2010. Listed in:
The wife of Peter Bethune is repeating her call to the NZ government for intervention regarding her husband's well being aboard a whaling ship on route to Japan.
Bethune, an anti-whaling activist, boarded the Japanese vessel Shonan Maru 2 earlier in the week in order to make a citizen's arrest on the captain. The arrest was in relation to the sinking of his own vessel Ady Gil last month, which was struck by the Japanese whaling boat. He also intended to present the crew with a bill to cover the damages to his boat.
However, the Japanese have kept him aboard their vessel stating that it was too dangerous to pull up along side another boat to drop him off. Instead they are taking him back to Japan, where it is likely he will be charged formally with trespassing.
Earlier this week Foreign Minister Murray McCully was given an assurance by Japanese authorities that New Zealand would be able to offer Bethune consular support. According to 3 News, he also stated that Bethune was refusing to allow himself to be transferred from the whaling ship.
If Bethune is tried in Japan and found guilty he could face up to three years in prison. His wife believes things have gone too far and that the NZ government needs to step in to quickly remedy the situation.
Read more great articles on Celsias:
Attempted Murder Complaint Lodged Against Japanese Whaling Ship
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Source: Newstalk ZB
Image sourced from Green Living.
