Environmental activist Paul Watson, best known for his TV show and opposition to Japan’s whaling activities, was released from jail in Greenland after 149 days of detention. The release came after Denmark’s Ministry of Justice announced it had decided not to fulfill a request for extradition from Japan.
The statement said that taking into account the nature and age of the offenses that the extradition request concerns, the Danish Ministry of Justice has decided – based on an overall assessment of the case – not to fulfill the request by the authorities of Japan for the extradition of Paul Watson. The Ministry however sidestepped the issues and emphasized that “Denmark does not share the concerns that have been raised by certain parties,” about the judicial system of Japan and claims of human rights violations.
Watson was arrested in Greenland on July 21 while his vessel the John Paul DeJoria was refueling. The vessel had been heading for the Northern Pacific according to Watson’s foundation in an effort to intercept a Japanese whaling vessel. Lawyers for the activist who celebrated his 74th birthday in jail called the charges politically motivated and revenge for his years of activism.
Greenland acted on an Interpol “red notice” issued by Japan in 2012 alleging that crewmembers aboard one of its vessels had been injured during a 2010 protest while Watson was in command of the Sea Shepard boat. Watson’s legal team repeatedly said the incident, which involved a “non-lethal stink bomb” tossed aboard a Japanese vessel, was being “blown out of proportion.” The lawyers said Japan aimed to silence Watson, intimidate other activists, and interfere with the planned protests.
The case would have gone to criminal court if Denmark had permitted the extradition. Watson’s legal team filed repeated appeals, rejected four times by the judge in Greenland. The court extended Watson’s detention six times citing the need for a decision from Denmark on the extradition.
The latest delay came on December 2 with the court initially proposing a December 30 hearing but Watson’s lawyers were successful in getting the hearing date accelerated to December 18. They repeatedly said the case was being expedited too slowly.
Denmark’s Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard released a statement saying they had considered the full scope of the case. He cited concerns about the amount of time the extradition decision would take, the nature and age of the offenses, and a request from Denmark that Japan would fully deduct the time Watson was detained in Greenland from a potential sentence from the criminal case in Japan.
Hummelgaard said Denmark had not received the “necessary degree of certainty,” that the time would be deducted from any sentence. The Ministry informed Watson and his lawyers of the decision and later today, Watson was released from the jail in Greenland.
Watson posted a video statement online to his followers saying it was good to be out of jail and not being sent to Japan. He said he would be going home to France for Christmas where his wife and children are living.
Watson was one of the founders of Greenpeace and later started Sea Shepard specifically to oppose whaling. He became the subject of a cable television show Whale Wars on their efforts. He had been jailed previously and due to mounting legal problems had briefly stepped down before returning to the group. In 2022, he resigned to start the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.
Japanese authorities declined to comment to Reuters and other media outlets on the news of the release of Watson.
