Here’s one for connoisseurs of detention without trial:

Japanese police have arrested two Greenpeace activists for exposing a whale meat scandal involving the government-sponsored whaling programme.

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The box of the most expensive cuts of whale meat had been illicitly removed by crew of the Nisshin Maru, the whaling factory ship, following this year’s Southern Ocean whale hunt. Its contents were marked “cardboard” and it was shipped to a private address.

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The Tokyo District Prosecutor Office announced that it has been unable to find evidence of the embezzlement and that the investigation into crew and whaling officials has been dropped.

However, on June 22, the two activists, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, were detained without charge for ten days. They’re still there - under Japanese law, they can be held up to 23 days without charge. For wanting to provide evidence for a possible prosecution.

The facts of the case are murky to say the least. Send a letter to the Japanese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.