The animal rights activist reacts exclusively to BFMTV on the release of Paul Watson, imprisoned in Greenland and threatened with extradition to Japan since last summer.
A few hours after the announcement of the release of Paul Watson, founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd and defender of whales, imprisoned in Greenland since last summer, Brigitte Bardot reacts. In a letter sent to BFMTV this Tuesday, December 17, the animal rights activist welcomes the release of the man who was threatened with extradition to Japan.
“The release of Paul Watson is the miracle of Christmas!”, she wrote on a handwritten note, accompanied by a drawn flower. “Thank you God!”
On October 22, the activist and former actress had already previewed her first open letter to BFMTV. She demanded the release of Paul Watson and implored President Macron to grant political asylum to the environmental activist. “A capital emergency, a question of life and death” she insisted on November 8 on social networks.
International mobilization
The world of culture had mobilized. Francis Lalanne, in particular, brought together numerous artists around a title written for the occasion and unveiled at the end of October. Titled The Last Wordthis collegiate single featured Florent Pagny, Véronique Sanson and Cali.
Several artists have already reacted on social networks to the release of Paul Watson, such as Nolwenn Leroy who exclaimed “FINALLY!” in Instagram story. Also note, the reaction of the resigning Minister of Ecological Transition, Energy and Climate Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who wrote on the social network X:
“What a relief! I welcome the release of Paul Watson, after 149 days of detention in Denmark. Welcome back to his people. The collective mobilization has paid off. Bravo to Sea Shepherd and to all the citizens who have continued to stand mobilize for him. It’s victory for you all!”
End of month of worry
A hearing on the continued pre-trial detention of the anti-whaling activist was to take place this Wednesday, December 18 in Nuuk, Denmark, where he was in detention.
“He is free, the Ministry of Justice has just informed us that it has rejected the extradition request,” his lawyer Julie Stage told AFP, specifying that Paul Watson would be able to leave Nuuk prison in Greenland where he had been in pre-trial detention for almost five months.
The news was made official on social networks by the NGO Sea Shepherd late in the morning this Tuesday, December 17. The media Vakita specifies that the French president of the association for the protection of the seas and oceans, Lamya Essemlali, is on her way to “go and collect Paul from Nuuk prison”.
A video of the activist upon his release from prison was posted on the Captain Paul Watson Foundation account, in which he can be seen looking forward to returning home and “coming home for Christmas”. He also assures that the hardest part of his five months in prison was not having been able to see his two sons since June.
“We are very happy. It is collective work with Danish and French lawyers”, underlines Maître François Zimeray, counsel to Paul Watson, to BFMTV. “We are very moved and very happy with this decision. I think the Danes were convinced that extradition to Japan was not justified and would have exposed him to a disproportionate risk,” adds the lawyer, who thinks that Paul Watson will return to France and reunite with his family.
Steven Bellery with Benjamin Pierret
