Paul Watson affair: the environmental activist defending whales will be released from prison

Since last summer, Paul Watson has been waiting for this good news. Denmark has just formally decided, this Tuesday, December 17, to refuse his extradition to Japan, according to information from Liberation. As a result, the 73-year-old American-Canadian, founder of Sea Shepherd and the foundation for the oceans that bears his name, will be released from prison and able to return to France where he lives with his family.

A fierce opponent of whaling, Paul Watson had been detained since July 21. He was arrested while en route with his ship, the John Paul DeJoria, to intercept a new Japanese whaling factory ship. Japan, which demanded his extradition and had relaunched a request issued in 2012 via an Interpol red notice, accuses him of being co-responsible for damage and injuries on board a Japanese whaling ship in 2010 as part of ‘a campaign led by Sea Shepherd.

“He will be able to resume his fight for respect for nature”

Since his arrest, his requests for release have been rejected multiple times. Like in October, where for the third time, “the public prosecutor requested an extension of the detention period”the prosecutor in charge of the case, Mariam Khalil, reported to Agence France-Presse. Enough to make his support jump, especially since “They practically cut off all contact with the outside world. He is only allowed 10 minutes of telephone time per week with his wife”denounced the president of Sea Shepherd France, Lamya Essemlali, in the fall.

In such a context, the environmental activist had requested “political asylum” from France in a letter to President Emmanuel Macron, published by Sea Shepherd France on social networks, where he affirmed that Japan “persecutes” for a reason “political and not judicial”.

If the question remained unresolved, with Denmark’s decision, Paul Watson will be able to return to France where he lives with his wife and two young children. “We are proud to have led this legal and political fight alongside his loved ones. 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. reacted François Zimmeray, one of his lawyers with Liberation.