News that relieves many people. As we learned this December 17, Paul Watson (74 years old), founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd, was released. The environmental activist, who was threatened with extradition to Japan, is therefore a free man. On July 21, he was arrested off the coast of Greenland aboard his boat while trying to intercept a Japanese whaling factory ship. An international arrest warrant was issued for Paul Watson at the request of Japan twelve years ago, due to anti-whaling activities in Antarctica that allegedly caused damage and injuries in 2010.
His wife Yana Rusinovich, a convinced environmentalist
Throughout this time, he was able to count on the support of his wife Yana Rusinovich. She is his fourth wife and they married in 2015. With her, he had two children: Tiger (8 years old) and Murtagh (4 years old). Yana is a woman of conviction like her husband, which was more than necessary. “I couldn’t fall in love with a carnivorous girl. I have a lifestyle, food and even clothing, which is in line with my ecological principles and which must be adopted if you want to live with me“, he declared, as our colleagues at South West. And indeed, Yana is a convinced environmental activist.
This common point between the 4 women of Paul Watson
It is also not his only wife who is like this since his first wife was a former Greenpeace activist, with whom he had a daughter, Lani. His second wife, former PlayBoy model Lisa Distefano, served as Sea Shepherd’s director of operations during the Makah people’s anti-whaling campaigns at Friday Harbor. And his third wife, Allison Lance, is an animal rights activist and volunteer member of the Sea Shepherd crew. In total, Paul Watson has 6 children and he can’t wait to see them again. “He misses his children terribly. At the end of the hearing, he insisted that they were deprived of their father and that he was facing injustice”declared Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, to Paris Match in November.
Following his release, the activist is pleased to see that his detention in Greenland had “drew attention to the illegality” of whaling. In any case, this news makes many happy among the stars who have not hesitated to support him since the start of the affair. If Sophie Tapie and Julien Doré, for example, reposted on Instagram the information of the release of Paul Watson in order to share their joy, Hugo Clément – who had also come to visit him in Greenland and is currently with him – posted a longer message: “Paul is free. Denmark has just refused his extradition to Japan. He will be able to return to France. We fucking won! He will be with his family for Christmas. I can’t believe it. It’s thanks to you and this incredible mobilization. I can never thank you enough. I will give you more information soon. We are on site with.”
Jean Dujardin also wanted to react on Instagram by posting a poster of Paul Watson which delivered the message: “Free Paul Watson in English“, to which was added in red pen the precision that it “East” free. Sandrine Quétier shared a beautiful photo of Paul Watson smiling on which is written “released“. An image from a publication by They ateonline media at the forefront of environmental investigation created by Hugo Clément and Régis Lamanna-Roda.
Let us also not forget Brigitte Bardot, a great animal defender who made it known via a note sent to BFMTV his relief. “The release of Paul Watson is the Christmas miracle!“, she wrote.
