Aomori, Japan.– Despite conducting a public interest investigation into corruption in the Japanese whaling industry, which was singled out by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the longest jail term for any Greenpeace activist in the organization’s forty-year history was demanded in court in Japan today.

Corroborating testimonies from whaling industry whistleblowers backing the allegations and contradictory testimony from prosecution witnesses have failed to prevent the severely disproportionate sentence being requested.

The United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on ArbitraryDetention stated that the 26-day detention of Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki breached their human rights. Despite this, today the Aomori

District Court Prosecutor demanded they each serve a prison term of one year and six months for theft and trespass. “We acted peacefully and only in the public interest – to gain evidence of embezzlement of whale meat paid for by the Japanese public,” stated Sato. “As a signatory to international human rights treaties, Japan must uphold our right to take such action and we trust the court will recognize this in its decision.

While investigating allegations of systemic corruption in Japan’s publicly-funded Southern Ocean whaling program, Sato and Suzuki intercepted whale meat that whistleblowers claimed was destined for the black market, and used it as evidence to request an official investigation. This was dropped without reason by the authorities while Sato and Suzuki, now known as the Tokyo Two, were arrested.

Their detention, interrogation and charges have been condemned by international human rights organizations, legal experts and politicians, including Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“The actions of Junichi and Toru have been peaceful at all times and for the public good. It is deeply worrying that any jail term might be imposed,” said Greenpeace International executive Director Kumi Naidoo. “Human rights experts have considered this case to be politically motivated, and another example of a growing global trend of authorities using the law to silence inconvenient opposition.”

The demand for jail comes just as crucial talks are to begin at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Agadir. More than half a million messages of concern have already been sent to the Japanese government since the arrest of the two men in June 2008.

“With new leadership taking power today we have an opportunity to wipe away two years of inaction by our leaders,” commented Suzuki. “New Prime Minister Naoto Kan needs to prove that he can do what Yukio Hatoyama could not, and prove Japan could be a world leader in defending the rights and importance of civil society.”

A verdict date is still to be confirmed.