Denmark frees anti-Walfang activist Watson, Extradition rejected to Japan

Denmark frees anti-Walfang activist Watson, Extradition rejected to Japan

Copenhagen, Denmark-Denmark released the anti-Walfang activist Paul Watson on Tuesday and rejected a Japanese request to deliver due to accusations of criminal acts that were more than a decade.

background to arrest Paul Watson

The 74-year-old US Canadian Watson is the founder of the environmental protection organization Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. He was released in Nuuk, the capital of the autonomous Danish area of ​​Greenland. Watson was arrested in July when his ship was put on in Greenland.

Watsons reactions to release

After his release, Paul Watson told Reuters: "Of course I am relieved, especially since I can come home to my children before Christmas." He added: "I haven't seen my children since June. The support here in Greenland was incredible. I received over 4,000 support letters, including about a dozen supporters from Japan."

decision of the Danish judiciary

The Danish Ministry of Justice explained that the decision is based on an overall rating, which, among other things, took into account the age of the procedure and in particular the uncertainty as to whether the time spent in Greenlandic detention could be deducted from a possible final punishment in Japan.

Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard said in a message: "Based on the correspondence with the Japanese authorities, the Ministry is right that it cannot be assumed with the necessary certainty that this will be the case."

Japanese allegations against Watson

Japan had issued an international arrest warrant against Watson and accuses him of breaking into a Japanese ship in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010, disrupted business and caused both injuries and property damage.

A spokesman for the Japanese embassy in Copenhagen declined a comment. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not react immediately to an inquiry to comment.

support for Watson

Watson's lawyer Julie Stage was satisfied with the decision: "We think it took a long time, but the most important thing is that it ends with the right decision." Watson enjoys strong support in France, where he has lived with his family since 2023. A campaign for his release received support from President Emmanuel Macron and actress Brigitte Bardot.

emotional reaction of supporters

lamya essemlali, the head of Sea Shepherd France, who visited Watson in custody in Greenland, said that the message surprised her: "When I received the message, I could hardly think, honestly. I just jumped into my clothes and drove to prison. I think I still don't realize that he was outside," she said.