Paul Watson, environmental activist, is released

Paul Watson was released on Tuesday after Denmark rejected Japan’s extradition request, with the environmental activist saying his detention helped draw attention to the “illegality” of whaling.

My arrest drew international attention to Japan’s continued illegal whaling operationswelcomed Mr. Watson in a video interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) during which he said he very fit for his first day of freedom in five months.

These five months were an extension of the campaign against whaling, said the 74-year-old American-Canadian, who was arrested in Nuuk on July 21 after the revival of a request made by Japan in 2012 via an Interpol red notice .

Japanese authorities accuse him of being co-responsible for damage and injuries aboard a Japanese whaling ship in 2010 as part of a campaign led by the organization Sea Shepherd.

They have the audacity to accuse me of something minor. My real crime was exposing their illegal operationsinsisted Mr. Watson, who was on his way with his ship the John Paul DeJoria to intercept a brand new Japanese whaling factory ship when he was arrested.

Contacted byAFPJapanese diplomacy did not react immediately.

Denmark based its refusal on the total duration of Paul Franklin Watson’s detention following his arrest on July 21, 2024 and until a possible extradition order can be executed, and on [le] fact that the acts for which extradition is requested date back more than 14 years, as well as the nature of the acts in generalaccording to the decision consulted by theAFP.

Japan tried to silence a man whose only crime was to denounce the illegality of industrial massacre disguised as scientific research.

Paul Watson counts resume your action to respect nature

Paul Watson will be able to resume its action for respect for nature, which is also a fight for humanity and justiceadded Me Zimeray. We are proud to have led this legal and political fight alongside his loved ones.

In the immediate future, Paul Watson will return to France, where his family lives.

This is what I have in mind at the moment. And it’s good to be here before Christmas because I haven’t seen them since Junehe said.

The fight is not yet overunderlined another of his advisors.

We will now have to attack the red notice and the Japanese arrest warrant, in order to be certain that Captain Paul Watson can once again travel anywhere in the world, with complete peace of mind, and never experience a similar episode again.indicated to theAFP Jean Tamalet, of the King & Spalding office.

I shouldn’t be on this listinsisted the activist.

The Interpol Red Notice is aimed at serial killers, war criminals and major drug traffickers. No one is on this list for trespassing on private property.

Outpouring of sympathy

The detention of the activist, who has been involved in the defense of whales for around fifty years and known for his violent actions, aroused an outpouring of sympathy in France, where the authorities had asked Denmark not to extradite him. , as well as among environmental defenders.

What a relief! I welcome the release of Paul Watson, after 149 days of detention in Denmark. Welcome back to his people. Collective mobilization paid offwelcomed the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

In addition to the nature of the prosecutions which they considered unfounded, its defenders denounced in particular the fallibility of the Japanese judicial system.

For François Zimeray, Japan, there is a presumption of guilt. Prosecutors are proud to announce that they have a 99.6% conviction rate.he lamented.

The Danish government has distanced itself from these claims.

This decision does not mean that Denmark shares the concerns that have been expressed in some quarters about the Japanese legal system and the protection of human rights in Japan in relation to this specific case.underlined the Danish Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard, quoted in a press release.

Japan is a democratic society governed by the rule of law that respects fundamental human rightshe wrote.

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