Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In June this year, two Greenpeace campaigners, now known as the Tokyo Two—Junicho Sato and Toru Suzuki—were arrested by Japanese authorities for their efforts in exposing a widespread whale meat scandal in Japan. They have been in jail and under house arrest for 145 days. Amnesty has protested the arrest as politically motivated, and the UN Human Rights Committee has severely reprimanded the Japanese government for ‘unreasonable restrictions placed on freedom of expression in Japan’. What efforts, if any, have been undertaken by Australia in negotiating for fair treatment and proper justice for the Tokyo Two? Has the Prime Minister raised this issue with Japan and has the Australian government investigated whether the actions of the Japanese authorities are a breach of international law under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights?