Urgent Call to Sea Shepherd Supporters - Help Save Captain Watson from Extradition to Costa Rica! 15MAI12 & Germany Considers Sending Whale Defender to What Will be a Death Sentence in Costa Rica 16MAI12

IT is amazing this case has gone on as long as it has, especially considering the charges from Costa Rica are based on Sea Shepherd's stopping an illegal shark finning operation by a Costa Rican boat in Guatemalan waters, at the request of the Guatemalan government! And this happened in 2002!!! There is more to this story than meets the eye. Sea Shepherd is having an economic impact on companies and governments that violate international law by their fishing fleets conducting whaling, shark finning and exceeding quotas of endangered and over harvested fish populations. Costa Rica isn't acting alone, nor are they seeking "justice" for a 10 year old incident, this is political and there are major governmental and economic players in the E.U., Asia and Latin America involved. If you can make a donation to Captain Paul Watson's legal defense fund (click the link below) AND e mail the German Federal Minister of Justice and the German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs (see the sample letter below). More information on this in my earlier post Captain Paul Watson Arrested In Frankfurt, Germany on Warrant Issued by Costa Rica 13MAI12 & Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody 14MAI12 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/captain-paul-watson-arrested-in.html

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

Telephone 030 - 227 751 62
Fax 030 - 227 764 02
E-Mail: sabine.leutheusser-schnarrenberger@bundestag.de

Federal Ministry of Justice
Mohrenstrasse 37
10117 Berlin, Germany

Telephone: +49 (030) 18 580-0
Telefax: +49 (030) 18 580-9525

Dr. Guido Westerwelle
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FDP-Bundestagsfraktion
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin

Tel.: 030 / 22771636
Fax: 030 / 22776562
E-Mail: guido.westerwelle@bundestag.de

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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.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/15/urgent-call-to-sea-shepherd-supporters-help-save-captain-watson-from-extradition-to-costa-rica-1376 

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.

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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

 http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/16/germany-considers-sending-whale-defender-to-what-will-be-a-death-sentence-in-costa-rica-1377
 

Sea Shepherd E-News: S.O.S. - Your help needed now - We only have 15 hours to Free Paul Watson from SEA SHEPHERD 15MAI12

UPDATE on the arrest of Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd in Germany. I hope you will take the time to write a letter to Germany's Federal Minister of Justice (my letter, incorporating the sample letter from by Sea Shepherd, follows this article) and if you can make a donation to Sea Shepherd. Please see my earlier post for the full story on Captain Watson's arrest at Captain Paul Watson Arrested In Frankfurt, Germany on Warrant Issued by Costa Rica 13MAI12 & Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody 14MAI12 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/captain-paul-watson-arrested-in.html
Please pass this on to family, friends and coworkers.....

Dear Craig,

All hands on deck! Captain Paul Watson has been arrested in Germany and may be extradited to Costa Rica where he will face a politically motivated, unfair trial — unless you help!

We have 15 hours to make our case to Germany's Federal Minister of Justice. Her name is Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. She is the only person in the world who can step in to overturn the decision of the lower courts in Germany and keep Captain Watson from being extradited to Costa Rica. If she does not make this decision in the next 15 hours, Captain Watson will be held in jail in Germany for 90 days pending an appeal process prior to his extradition.

We cannot allow Captain Watson to be extradited to Costa Rica or be held in a German prison for 90 days. He has too much work to do for the oceans!

Please be respectful in your communications and contact the Federal Minister of Justice.

Sea Shepherd has many upcoming hurdles to face — in the water and in the courtroom. We will not stand down in the face of corruption and greed. In addition to contacting the Federal Minister of Justice, please make a donation to keep us afloat. We depend on you.

For the oceans,

Sea Shepherd HQ

P.S. We have written a sample letter and given you the Minister's contact information on our website. Don't delay. Your help is needed now to #FreePaulWatson.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | PO Box 2616 | Friday Harbor | WA | 98250 | USA 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. You are the one person in the Federal Republic of Germany who can uphold justice and free Captain Watson and allow him to continue, with his colleagues in the Sea Shepherd organization, his work to protect our oceans and all that live in them. 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, Craig Schwanke

Captain Paul Watson Arrested In Frankfurt, Germany on Warrant Issued by Costa Rica 13MAI12 & Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody 14MAI12

CAPTAIN Paul Watson, leader of Sea Shepherd (of Whale Wars and The Cove fame) has been arrested in Germany on a warrant from Costa Rica issued in 2011 over an incident in 2002....here are the updates from the past 2 days.....
Photo: Tim WattersCaptain Paul Watson was arrested yesterday in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica.  The German police have said that the warrant for Captain Watson’s arrest is in response to an alleged violation of ships traffic in Costa Rica, which occurred during the filming of Sharkwater in 2002.  The specific “violation of ships traffic” incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero.  On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted.  While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew.  The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy.  To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.
Conservationists around the world maintain hope that the Costa Ricans will drop the charges against Captain Watson.  There is also a chance that the charges have already been dropped, but Sea Shepherd has been unable to confirm that with the Costa Rican officials. With Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, it would be a travesty for them not to stand up for sharks, which sit at the highest levels of the food chain assuring balance among ecological communities in the ocean.
While in jail, Captain Watson is being assisted by the European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove.  Our hope is that these two honorable gentlemen can set Captain Watson free before this nonsense goes any further.  The European Sea Shepherds have also mobilized to support Captain Watson.
As the plight of the sharks becomes more desperate, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has begun to outline a new shark campaign for 2012. Julie Andersen, founder of Shark Savers and Shark Angels, has joined Sea Shepherd to lead our global campaign to save sharks from extinction.
Sea Shepherd will use its expertise and experience, as well as media savvy, to empower people around the world to take back their sharks – an animal critical to their, as well as the global, environment and economy.
Sea Shepherd is offering its assistance to countries around the world to enforce international and local laws, end ruthless poaching, patrol marine sanctuaries under attack, implement high tech defenses, and empower locals through training and the provision of resources to take on the battle. Sea Shepherd will also fight a war of public opinion, changing everything we know about an animal most despised.
The first stop will be the South Pacific, where the team will be headed in June.
“We’ve got all the laws we need to protect sharks. Now we will leverage our resources and expertise to help countries around the globe enforce them. Using Galapagos as a model, we will travel wherever we are needed - enforcing local laws while developing strategies and training locals to defend their sharks, fueling world-wide enforcement efforts.” - Julie Andersen, Shark Campaign Director
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/13/captain-paul-watson-arrested-in-frankfurt-germany-on-warrant-issued-by-costa-rica-1374

Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody

Captain Paul Watson defending the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as the Japanese factory ship, Nisshin Maru, lurks nearby. Photo: Barbara VeigaCaptain Watson remains in the custody of German authorities as of Monday, May 14th.  A German judge in the lower courts of Frankfurt has refused to release Captain Watson, instead saying that the German court would like to confirm that Costa Rica wants Captain Watson extradited to their country.  The German legal council representing Captain Watson includes Oliver Wallasch and Alexander Gruner.  Sea Shepherd operatives continue to work around the clock in Europe and Latin America in order to determine the true reasons behind Costa Rica’s warrant.
The warrant for Captain Watson’s arrest was issued in Costa Rica in October of 2011, curiously close to the time that the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) filed their civil suit against Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the United States.  The question remains, what prompted Costa Rica to issue an arrest warrant for Captain Watson in October of 2011?
INTERPOL has issued a statement on their website citing that they will not publish a Red Notice seeking the arrest of Captain Watson because their Office of Legal Affairs is not satisfied that the request from Costa Rica is in compliance with INTERPOL’s Constitutions and Rules. Hopefully the German courts will come to the same conclusion soon and set Captain Watson free.
As Sea Shepherd becomes increasingly more effective at protecting marine wildlife globally, the enemies of the oceans are using all their resources to stop us.  Currently Sea Shepherd is under legal attack from all parts of the globe and each case represents the very biodiversity we strive to protect.  In the UK Sea Shepherd is currently battling a lawsuit brought by seafood brokers Fish & Fish regarding Bluefin Tuna.  In the United States we have the civil suit brought forth by the ICR concerning anti-whaling activities in the Southern Ocean, and now with Captain Watson’s detainment in Germany (via Costa Rica’s arrest warrant) which we believe stems from Sea Shepherd victories in curbing shark finning on the high seas.  No matter the country or the court system, Captain Watson will not be intimidated, and he will not stop until marine life and ecosystems are given the protection they deserve.
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/14/update-on-the-arrest-of-captain-watson-day-2-in-custody-1375