Earlier this month 'Heroes' star Hayden Panettiere was in Japan and took part in a protest against trditional Japanes dolphin hunts. Then she hopped a plane immediately and returned to the States, but just recently found out that warrant was issued for her in Japan for her part in the protest.

"I learned that they have an arrest warrant out for me in Japan," the Heroes star told E! News exclusively Wednesday. "We just found out."

Panettiere, 18, was part of a convoy of activists from the U.S. and Australia who on Oct. 30 paddled out on surfboards to protest the annual slaughter of dolphins and whales by Japanese fisherman.

Her group attempted to reach a pod of dolphins before it was driven into a nearby cove and massacred, but they were blocked by a fishing boat before they could reach the sea creatures.

"It was really frightening," Panettiere said at the time. "But in the end, all we really worried about was the dolphins."

After returning to shore, the group headed directly to Osaka and left the country to avoid being arrested for trespassing by the Japanese national police.

Now it looks like the scare's not quite over for the actress.

When asked what the arrest warrant could mean, Panettiere replied, "Potentially jail, but I doubt it."

She said she was thrilled that the incident was receiving international attention, as it could result in educating others about the dolphins' plight.

I'm sitting back in my chair imaging little Hayden in the female ward of the local Japanese jail. Try not to drop the soap in the shower, HP. Now, what will I spend my reward money on for turning her in to the Jap cops......

Labels: Hayden Panettiere