Four Brazilians detained in Iceland during anti-whaling operation

Four Brazilian activists—Rui Amorim, Vitor Young, Victor Calixto, and Lucas Barbosa—remain detained in Iceland following an international operation against commercial whaling. The group was part of ‘Operation 86,’ a campaign organized by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation to monitor whaling activities in the Nordic country.

According to Sea Shepherd Brasil, the activists intercepted a vessel belonging to the only Icelandic company still engaged in the whale meat trade. Icelandic authorities subsequently arrested the crew in international waters. While most other participants from the 21-person international crew have been released, the four Brazilians and two Australians remain under restrictions, requiring them to report to authorities daily.

Sea Shepherd Brasil has filed a writ of mandamus with the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) to compel the Brazilian federal government to take more active diplomatic measures to secure the activists' return. The organization has criticized the perceived slowness of the government's diplomatic response. In response, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) stated that the Brazilian Embassy in Oslo is maintaining contact with Icelandic police and diplomatic authorities to provide consular assistance.