The following press release on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Jairo Mora Sandoval murder trial was kindly provided to The Costa Rica Star by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

VERDICT ISSUED IN JAIRO MORA CASE: COURT COULD NOT CONDEMN THE MURDERERS, BUT WE ALL KNOW WHO THEY ARE

January 27th, 2015 — COSTA RICA — Sea Shepherd Conservation Society deeply regrets the decision of the Criminal Court of Limon, which yesterday acquitted seven men accused of the murder of environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval.

Jairo Mora, a 26-year-old Costa Rican activist, dedicated to protecting sea turtles from poachers, was brutally murdered on May 31st, 2013 in Moin, Limon, Costa Rica.

The verdict of the Court of Limon has dismayed our organization. The murder of a young man who dedicated his life to protecting marine life should not go unpunished.

We understand that the Court issued a judgment of acquittal justified by errors which took place during the investigation of the case. However, we strongly appeal to the judicial prosecutors and investigators to not continue making such mistakes that allow murderers to kill with impunity.

The name of Jairo Mora won’t be forgotten and as a tribute to his work, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society named last year one of its ships in his honor. Currently, this boat performs control operations against poaching off the coast of West Africa.

In September of last year, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Latin American Sea Turtles Association (LAST) launched Operation Pacuare, a campaign against poaching to protect sea turtles at Playa Pacuare in the province of Limon, Costa Rica.

The goal for this year is to expand this operation and the vigilant patrols of turtles in Moin Beach as a way to continue to honor the memory of Jairo and the important work he accomplished in Costa Rica.

We will never be silent. We will not forget. We will not stop. The life in our seas should be protected in accordance with the courageous work of Jairo and many others offering their lives for this noble cause.

Beyond the technical flaws, which prevented the court from issuing a guilty verdict, Costa Ricans know who are the culprits.

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Sea Shepherd was founded by Canadian environmentalist Paul Watson, a man who is known for his role in the reality television show Whale Wars, his controversial involvement in the Varadero incident, and his dedication to marine conservation by means of direct action At one point, Paul Watson pledged $30,000 as a reward for information to bring those responsible for this murder to justice.