the defender of whales, cleared by Denmark, has left his prison – Libération

Paul Watson is free. The guardian of the oceans will finally be able to leave Greenland after 149 days in prison. He will have spent time contemplating the Nuup Kangerlua fjord from his cell in the Nuuk penitentiary establishment, capital of the Danish autonomous territory. It seems that he even saw whales, his totem animal, passing by from his window, the biggest fight of his life.

Arrested on July 21, the founder of Sea Shepherd was preparing to leave the Greenlandic port aboard his boat, the John-Paul-DeJoriato prevent a new Japanese harpoon ship from hunting cetaceans in the North Pacific. Danish police handcuffed him as he refueled. Pattern ? The 74-year-old environmental activist is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by Japan, for facts relating to a campaign led in 2010 by Sea Shepherd against the Japanese fishing fleet in the Southern Ocean. Since his arrest, the whole issue has been whether the Danish government, under all-out diplomatic pressure, was going to hand him over to Japan, where he faces up to fifteen years in prison. This Tuesday, December 17, Denmark finally took the formal decision to refuse his extradition.

In a press release, the Danish Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard, explains that this final arbitration, eminently political, is “based on an overall assessment of the case”. At the end of November, his colleague at Foreign Affairs asked the Japanese authorities if they intended to deduct the duration of the activist's detention in Greenland from the possible sentence handed down in Japan, in the event that Denmark handed the activist over to them. “It was particularly important for the Department to ensure that the length of Paul Watson's detention in Greenland was fully deducted. [Or] the ministry considered that it was not possible to assume with the necessary degree of certainty that this would be the case. develops Peter Hummelgaard in his public statement. In “this context, and taking into account the nature and age of the offenses covered by the extradition request”, concludes the minister, a decision was taken not to “proceed with the extradition request”.

“A great victory for whale song”

How long it was. In all, during these five months of investigation carried out by the Danish government, the environmental defender saw his detention extended six times, and four appeals rejected, before Copenhagen made a decision. “The procedure took longer than expected and hoped, given the public interest in this case”informed the minister's office to Liberation.

In the Watson clan, it's deliverance. “We are proud to have led this legal and political fight alongside his loved ones.reacts François Zimeray, one of his lawyers, who was French ambassador to Denmark between 2013 and 2018. He will be able to resume his fight for respect for nature, which is a fight for humanity and justice. Japan tried to silence a man whose only crime was to denounce the illegality of industrial massacre disguised as scientific research.” “I still have a hard time believing it, it’s surreal”exults from Nuuk Lamya Essemlali, the president of Sea Shepherd France and friend of the activist. Jean Tamalet, also a lawyer for the ecologist, agrees: “It’s a historic day and it’s a great victory for whale song.”

“France will continue to act to protect the oceans”

By choosing not to extradite the “eco-warrior”, Denmark is taking the risk of attracting the wrath of Japan. Tuesday evening, Japanese diplomacy had not reacted. For more than ten years this country has been trying to get its hands on the activist to bring him to trial. The protector of cetaceans is accused by the Japanese authorities “forcible obstruction of trade, bodily harm, trespass on a vessel and vandalism”for events that took place at sea on February 11 and 15, 2010, when Sea Shepherd harassed Japanese boats to obstruct their whaling. At the time, the country claimed to hunt for scientific purposes and not for commercial purposes, which was seen as a subterfuge by the NGO, because some of the meat ended up on the shelves.

Captain of operations fifteen years ago during this campaign off the coast of Antarctica, Paul Watson was criticized by Japan for having “planned and conspired” the «sabotage» having led to the launching of butyric acid bombs towards the Japanese fleet (this harmless product, which is found for example in rancid butter, would have caused “chemical burns to the face” of a sailor, according to the authorities) and the damage to a large fishing net (one of the men taking part in the Sea Shepherd campaign, Pete Bethune, managed to board one of the Japanese boats and cut said trap).

Paul Watson will be able to return to France, where he has lived for about a year and where his wife and two of his children are waiting for him. “I’m home in time for Christmas and it fills me with joy. I haven't seen my children since June. I just can't wait to be with them now», he confides to Liberation. Ten years ago, relatives of the activist (including Nicolas Hulot) pushed for the pirate to be welcomed in France when he was already wanted by Japan and Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization. French diplomacy wished him, on Tuesday, “a good return to his loved ones”. “France will continue to act to protect the oceans”promised the Quai d’Orsay. “What a relief!wrote the resigning Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, on the social network X, an hour after the news was announced. Collective mobilization paid off. Bravo to Sea Shepherd and to all the citizens who continued to mobilize for him. This is victory for you all!”

Updated at 7:20 p.m. with several reactions