14 DAY TRIAL // After spending 63 days in a Japanese jail cell, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society activity and Cove Guardian volunteer, Erwin Vermeulen, was finally released. A court order allowed him to be taken out of custody, pending a final hearing and verdict.
The trial is being held in Wakayama, Japan, near where the SSCS is trying to prevent the needless slaughter of countless dolphins. Vermeulen was arrested on accusations of assault on February 22, mostly on political motivations, the defense stated.
The prosecution's case was shown to be lacking in evidence that Vermeulen indeed carried out acts of assault. This was made obvious even through the fact that the prosecutors only asked for a small fine of $1,300 (100,000 Yen) to be paid by Erwin or the SSCS, if the activist was to be found guilty.
As the situation develops, we'll keep you posted with updates.