U.S. willing to cooperate with Interpol over Sea Shepherd activists
The United States has said it will cooperate if Japan issues an international arrest warrant for members of the radical animal rights group Sea Shepherd (pictured above throwing acid at a Japanese ship):
Tokyo police said Wednesday Interpol has put the three on its wanted list on Sept. 2 on suspicion of interfering with Japan’s whaling activities in the Antarctic Ocean in February last year.
They said Interpol on Sept. 2 issued a “blue notice” designed to collect information about the suspects’ identities and activities, instead of a “red notice” to seek their arrest and extradition.
Tokyo police obtained arrest warrants last month for the three.
The police allege the three activists were involved in such activities as sandwiching and hitting the Kaiko Maru, a ship belonging to Japan’s whaling fleet, with two Sea Shepherd ships, as well as throwing smoke candles onto the Kaiko Maru.
The United States recognizes the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as a tax-exempt non-profit organization, and much of Sea Shepherd’s activities are based out of Friday Harbor in Washington State.
Side note: I wonder if the people shopping at Lush Cosmetics stores in Japan are aware of the fact that Lush has an official partnership with Sea Shepherd?
