Anti-Whaling Activist Paul Watson Released from Greenlandic Custody Following Denmark’s Extradition Rejection

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been freed from a Greenlandic prison, where he was held for five months, after Denmark declined a Japanese extradition request for him. The 74-year-old Mr. Watson was apprehended by police in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, last July when his ship docked. Law enforcement officials had acted on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a Japanese whaling vessel, obstructing business operations, and injuring a crew member during an incident in Antarctic waters in February 2010. Mr. Watson, a Canadian-American citizen who appeared in the reality TV series Whale Wars, denied any wrongdoing. He conveyed to the BBC his “relief” at being released and his eagerness to return home to his children. Speaking via video call from Nuuk, immediately after his release from prison, Mr. Watson asserted that his time in detention had drawn attention to “illegal” Japanese whaling. He added, “All the evidence shows that I wasn’t even there when this offence supposedly took place,” and further stated, “We document everything. Everything is on film.” While conservation groups have heavily criticized whaling and the consumption of whale meat, Japanese officials maintain that these practices are integral to the country’s culture and way of life. The Danish justice ministry confirmed its refusal to comply with the Japanese extradition request, basing its decision on “the nature of circumstances” and the fact that the incident occurred 14 years ago. His lawyer, Julie Stage, informed the BBC that Mr. Watson was “obviously relieved” and “looking forward to reuniting with his wife and children.” Since Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, the decision regarding his extradition was made in Copenhagen. Although no extradition treaty exists between Japan and Denmark, the government in Tokyo had asked Denmark to hand him over. Denmark’s justice minister, Peter Hummelgaard, stated that it was of “central importance” to ensure that the duration of Mr. Watson’s detention in Greenland would be subtracted from any potential prison sentence he might subsequently face in Japan. He further noted that, following correspondence with Japanese authorities, the ministry concluded that “it cannot be assumed with the necessary certainty that this will be the case.” Mr. Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a crew of 26 volunteers, aiming to intercept a new Japanese whaling ship, when it docked for refueling in Nuuk on July 21. During a previous custodial hearing, Mr. Watson told the court that the case was “about revenge for a television show that extremely embarrassed Japan in the eyes of the world.” Mr. Watson also mentioned his plan to approach Interpol in the new year to discuss an outstanding red notice for his arrest. He additionally stated that his organization was prepared to continue its anti-whaling activities. For many years, Mr. Watson has been a controversial figure, known for his confrontations with whaling vessels at sea. The campaigner is the former leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which he departed in 2022 to establish the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and recommenced commercial whaling in 2019, after a 30-year hiatus – though during that period it continued whaling for what it claimed were research purposes. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.