Danish Ministry of Justice Decides Not to Extradite Sea Shepherd Founder, Who Faces Potential Prison Sentence in Japan
Paul Watson, the renowned anti-whaling activist and founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has been released from a Greenland prison after the Danish Ministry of Justice confirmed that he will not be extradited to Japan. Watson, 74, was detained in July in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, following an Interpol red notice issued by Japan. The charges stem from an alleged 2010 incident in which Watson boarded the Japanese whaling vessel Shōnan Maru 2 in the Southern Ocean. If convicted, Watson could have faced up to 15 years in prison on charges including assault.
In a statement posted on social media following his release in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Watson expressed relief: “It’s good to be out and … good to see that they are not going to send me to Japan and so have a go-home for Christmas,” he wrote. “The only hard part was that my two little boys. I haven’t seen them since June.”
The activist had been in detention for five months, with his legal team successfully arguing that Japan had failed to provide sufficient guarantees that his time in jail would be deducted from any future sentence. This technicality paved the way for his release, according to Denmark’s Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard. Following his release, Watson indicated that he would quickly return to his family in Paris, where he lives with his partner and their two young children.
Watson’s detention had garnered significant international attention, with high-profile supporters including French President Emmanuel Macron, actress Brigitte Bardot, and actor Pierce Brosnan rallying behind him. Despite this, Japan’s government had accused Watson and his environmental groups of engaging in “eco-terrorism” due to their aggressive tactics against commercial whaling.
A former member of Greenpeace, Watson founded Sea Shepherd in 1977, and has spent decades working to prevent commercial whaling. He is perhaps best known for his role in the reality TV series Whale Wars, which aired in the United States in 2008. Watson’s work continues through the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, which he has led since 2022.
Japan’s withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 allowed it to resume commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone. The Japanese government maintains that whaling is an important part of its cultural heritage and supports the “sustainable use” of whale populations, a stance that has been widely criticized by conservationists.
This marks the second time Watson has avoided extradition to Japan. In 2012, he was arrested in Germany on a Costa Rican extradition request but skipped bail after learning that Japan had also sought his extradition. Despite the release, the Interpol red notice remains in effect, which means Watson could still be subject to international arrest if he travels outside countries where he is protected. However, given that Watson was granted honorary citizenship by President Macron just last week, he is currently safe in France.
Reflecting on his release, Watson argued that Japan’s pursuit of his extradition had backfired. “This has put an enormous focus on Japan’s continued illegal whaling operations,” he told reporters. “I’ve had five months of not really doing much, so I’m not really tired.”
Looking ahead, Watson emphasized his commitment to anti-whaling activism. “We have a ship being prepared to oppose Icelandic whaling operations in June next year,” he said. “And we have a ship in Australia that is ready to intervene against Japan if they return to the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. So we’re prepared to take action when we need to.”
The Japanese Embassy in Copenhagen did not immediately comment on Watson’s release, and the status of the Interpol red notice remains unchanged.
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