Urgent Call to Sea Shepherd Supporters - Help Save Captain Watson from Extradition to Costa Rica!
In shocking news, German officials have decided to proceed with the extradition of Captain Watson to Costa Rica. Our last hope of saving Captain Watson from extradition is to convince German officials at the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step in and overturn their decision. Show your support for Captain Watson by contacting Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, the Federal Minister of Justice in Berlin, Germany. Let her know that the warrant for Captain Watson's arrest is politically motivated and thus should be ignored by the German government. With international support we can set Captain Watson free, and keep him from the possibility of facing an unfair trial in Costa Rica.Please contact: (Please be respectful in your communications)
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Federal Minister of Justice
Deutscher Bundestag
Platz der Republik
11011 Berlin
Federal Minister of Justice
Deutscher Bundestag
Platz der Republik
11011 Berlin
Telephone 030 - 227 751 62
Fax 030 - 227 764 02
E-Mail: sabine.leutheusser-schnarrenberger@bundestag.de
Fax 030 - 227 764 02
E-Mail: sabine.leutheusser-schnarrenberger@bundestag.de
Federal Ministry of Justice
Mohrenstrasse 37
10117 Berlin, Germany
Mohrenstrasse 37
10117 Berlin, Germany
Telephone: +49 (030) 18 580-0
Telefax: +49 (030) 18 580-9525
Telefax: +49 (030) 18 580-9525
Dr. Guido Westerwelle
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FDP-Bundestagsfraktion
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FDP-Bundestagsfraktion
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Sample Letter:
Dear Ms Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger,
I was very concerned to hear that Germany has detained Sea Shepherd's
Captain Paul Watson for possible extradition to Costa Rica. I
understand that the warrant for Captain Watson's arrest is politically
motivated and possibly due to an incident in which Sea Shepherd
uncovered an illegal shark finning operation.
I support Sea Shepherd's efforts to monitor and publicise illegal
fishing and whaling around the world and recognize that some illegal
fishing operations try to use international law to shut down the Sea
Shepherd operations. I urge you to consider the valuable work Captain
Watson and Sea Shepherd are undertaking globally to highlight the
dangers to our oceans in considering this extradition request.
Sincerely,
Your Name.
Germany Considers Sending Whale Defender to What Will be a Death Sentence in Costa Rica
Today
in Frankfurt, Germany the general Public Prosecutor to the Higher
Regional Court requested a preliminary extradition arrest warrant
against Captain Paul Watson, on the basis of the local arrest warrant
and request for extradition from Costa Rica. In a highly unusual move,
the Public Prosecutor stated that the German Ministry of Justice and the
German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the
extradition procedures on political grounds.If the German Ministry of Justice and/or the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs give notice that they would not grant an extradition of Paul Watson to Costa Rica the case would be over, and Captain Watson would be set free immediately. We ask our supporters to continue to appeal the German Ministry of Justice for help.
Sea Shepherd representatives were able to visit Captain Watson in the Frankfurt prison this morning and they were able to record the following statement from Captain Watson:
In our efforts to defend the lives of whales, dolphins, seals,
sharks, and fish we have made some powerful enemies, most notably the
government of Japan. It is no coincidence that the extradition request
by Costa Rica was issued the same month (October 2011) as the Japanese
whaling (ICR) lawsuit against Sea Shepherd was initiated. The
extradition request was in reference to a complaint from Costa Rican
fishermen who I caught poaching in Guatemalan waters. The fishermen were
not injured and their boat was not damaged. The incident was fully
documented for the film Sharkwater. Interpol originally denied this
extradition order and deemed it as politically motivated. Therefore the
question must be asked why Germany is now taking into account
accusations made by illegal poachers.”- Captain Paul Watson
Captain Watson has travelled extensively throughout the world since the
Costa Rican government issued this arrest warrant in October of 2011.
He has been to Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, etc. None
of these countries have sought to arrest Captain Watson as Germany has.Should Captain Watson be extradited to Costa Rica, he will certainly not receive a fair trial and his safety cannot be guaranteed. The shark finning mafia, which operates illegally in Costa Rica, could try to harm Captain Watson and this reality has him fearing for his life. Sea Shepherd is doing everything it can to provide Captain Watson the best legal defense team possible. Between the illegal Japanese whalers and the shark finning mafia in Costa Rica, Captain Watson has formidable enemies who seek to stop his efforts to defend marine life.
Your generous donation will help keep Captain Watson out of harm’s way, and will allow him to fulfill his mission: to protect marine creatures while there is still hope.
Statement from Captain Watson’s Attorney Oliver Wallasch:
Dear all,
Today I received the request from the general public prosecutor in
Frankfurt to the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt to issue a
preliminary extradition arrest warrant against Paul WATSON on the basis
of the local arrest warrant and the request for extradition from Costa
Rica. The general public prosecutor gives notice, that the Costa Rican
authorities have asked for extradition on a charge which is also a
criminal act under the German law (dual criminality rule); the general
public prosecutor is concerned that the preliminary arrest is necessary
because of the likelihood of an escape of the client.
At this stage of the procedure we do not have all the evidence and
we do not have any extradition papers from the Costa Rican authorities
Therefore the public prosecutor only asks for a preliminary extradition
warrant; he does not ask for a decision of the court concerning the
extradition itself. Absolutely unusual - I never had this experience in
all my practice in cross border cases - is the fact, that the public
prosecutor stated, that the German Ministry of justice and the German
Ministry of foreign affairs have the power to stop the extradition
procedure on political reasons.
If the German Ministry of justice and/or the German Ministry of
foreign affairs give notice, that they would not grant an extradition
from Paul Watson to Costa Rica the case will be over, and Paul Watson
will be set free immediately. For an independent public prosecutor this
statement is absolutely unusual, and gives a hint, that is not an
ordinary extradition case, but to be handled also on the political
level.
Please click here to donate to Captain Watson’s legal defense fund.
Sea Shepherd press conference, Germany Frankfurt airport,
May 16, 2012 |
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