18/7/09

Award winning filmmaker and personal friend Bart Smithers, along with a British journalist Jim Wickens were trying to obtain footage of the seal clubbing in Namibia . The sealers turned on them and started violently clubbing the two. Bart and Jim were subsequently arrested and thrown in to a police van where sealers were allowed to continue their assault while police did nothing. Bart and Jim have been released on bail and will appear in court today. Needless to say that their cameras and the footage they got were confiscated, along with their cellphones. However, before the confiscation of their cellphones, Bart managed to send out the following SMS's:
"Don't call, big shit, being arrested, they wanted to kill us ... clubbers went crazy. managed to hide my phone, will contact soon, the embassies know"
and "clubbing was hectic, they randomly club seals in large herd, no knives etc. What's more the chap that was the most hectic is from the ministry of fisheries name is claudius shutte ikeberg"

Help us do the following:

1. Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Bart and Jim
2. Call for the prosecution of the sealers
3. For Bart and Jim to continue filming the bloody killing so that the world can know the truth
4. STOP THE SEAL KILLING

You can email -
His Excellency High Commissioner Mr. Philemon Kambala
secretary@namibia.org.za

Police Attache Mr Oscar P Embubulu
police@namibia.org.za

Prime Minister Nahas Angula
nangula@opm.gov.na

Minister of Fisheries
aiyambo@mfmr.gov.na

Word is that the Namibian government is wanting this to go away as quickly as possible. WE CANNOT ALLOW FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. Namibia is lying to the world, Namibia cannot be trusted and Namibia needs to start coming clean. If they have nothing to hide, then they MUST allow the seal killing to be filmed. If you have ANY press contacts, no matter where in the world you are, please please please alert them to this.