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Denmark Frees 74-Year-Old Paul Watson After 149 Days in Greenland, Rejects Japan's Extradition

Dec 17, 2024, 01:17 PM

Paul Watson, a 74-year-old prominent anti-whaling activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has been released from prison in Greenland after Denmark rejected a Japanese extradition request. Watson, who holds Canadian and American citizenship, was detained in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, since July on charges stemming from a 2010 incident involving a confrontation with a Japanese whaling ship in the Antarctic. The Danish Ministry of Justice decided not to extradite Watson to Japan, citing the age of the case and uncertainty about whether his time in detention would be credited against any potential sentence in Japan. Watson had been held for 149 days under an Interpol red notice, which he claims is politically motivated. He denies the Japanese allegations, asserting that his group used only harmless stink bombs, not explosives, during the incident. If extradited, Watson faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in Japan. Following the Nuuk court's decision, Watson expressed relief at his release, stating his intention to return home to France to be with his family for the holidays. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, was the site of Watson's detention.