Anti-whaling activist must stay in Greenland jail (2024)

A court in Greenland has ruled that anti-whaling activist Paul Watson must remain in custody pending a decision to extradite him to Japan.

The veteran campaigner, who has featured in the reality television show “Whale Wars”, was apprehended by police in July as his ship docked in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.

They were acting on a 2012 Japanese warrant which accuses him of causing damage to a Japanese whaling ship, obstructing business and injuring a crew member during an encounter in Antarctic waters in February 2010.

Officials in Japan argue that whaling and eating whale meat is part of the country’s culture and way of life. However, it has been heavily criticised by conservation groups.

Dressed in jeans and a white shirt, Mr Watson sat beside his defence lawyers and listened to proceedings through an interpreter as several of his supporters looked on.

“This is about revenge for a television show that extremely embarrassed Japan in the eyes of the world,” he told the small courtroom.

“What happened in the Southern Ocean is documented by hundreds of hours of video,” Mr Watson said.

“I think a review of all the video and of all the documentation will exonerate me from the accusations.”

However the prosecution argued that the defendant was a flight risk, and the judge concluded he should remain in custody until 2 October.

Paul Watson is the former head of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which he left in 2022 to set up the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

He was also a founding member of Greenpeace, but they parted ways in 1977, amid disagreements over his radical tactics.

The 73-year old Canadian-American campaigner has been a controversial figure known for confrontations with whaling vessels at sea.

Mr Watson’s vessel, called the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, had been heading to the North Pacific with a crew of 26 volunteers on board, in a bid to intercept a new Japanese whaling ship when it docked to refuel in Nuuk on 21 July.

He was arrested and led away in handcuffs, and has been held at the local prison for the last seven weeks.

His defence team have appealed against the decision to keep him in custody before Greenland’s High Court.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and, although the court in Nuuk is overseeing the custody hearings, the decision about Mr Watson’s extradition lies with Danish authorities in Copenhagen.

Last month, Japan asked Denmark to hand Paul Watson over, even though there is no extradition treaty between the two countries.

Police in Nuuk are carrying out an investigation before handing their findings to Denmark’s ministry of justice and a decision could be expected within the next few weeks.

“It’s a serious case, and it has to have some serious consideration. It has a deep impact on Mr Watson if we get to the point that he has to be extradited. So I will take the time needed to do it properly,” Greenland chief prosecutor Mariam Khalil told the BBC.

At the defence’s request, the judge granted permission for a video clip to be played, which appeared to show a zodiac-type speedboat sailing alongside a Japanese ship and firing a stink bomb.

However, Mr Watson's lawyers say a second video clip, which was not shown, proves no-one was on deck at the time.

“We have video footage of a stink bomb being shot on to the ship, and the position that the Japanese claim the sailor should be in, he simply isn't there,” Jonas Christoffersen told BBC.

“There’s no evidential basis for the allegation that somebody got got injured.”

Lyon-based international police body Interpol has confirmed the existence of an outstanding red notice for the arrest of Mr Watson.

In 2012, Paul Watson was also detained in Germany, but left the country after learning that he was sought for extradition by Japan.

Masashi Mizobuchi, assistant press secretary for the Japanese ministry of foreign affairs, told the BBC that Japan had not yet received any response from the Danish authorities.

“We will continue to take appropriate measures, including necessary outreach to the relevant countries and organisations,” Mr Mizobuchi said.

Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and resumed commercial whaling in 2019, after a 30-year hiatus. However, it had continued whaling for what it said were research purposes.

French President Emmanuel Macron's office has asked Denmark not to extradite Paul Watson, and there has been vocal support from legendary actress turned animals rights activist Brigitte Bardot.

Meanwhile a petition calling for Mr Watson’s release has surpassed 120,000 signatures.

Anti-whaling activist must stay in Greenland jail (2024)

FAQs

Where is Captain Paul Watson now? ›

Paul married Yana Rusinovich on Valentine's Day 2015 in Paris and is living in Paris (FRANCE) with their two young sons 'Tiger' and 'Murtagh'. Note: While in 2022 Paul Founded the “Captain Paul Watson Foundation” alongside tech entrepreneur Omar Todd, he is not in any leadership role or employed by the Foundation.

Who is trying to stop whaling? ›

Most notably, Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society continue separate campaigns of direct action against whale hunts conducted by Norway, Iceland, and Japan. Both also conduct media campaigns and other public outreach to raise awareness.

What is the anti-whaling movement? ›

One of Greenpeace's first campaigns was the campaign to stop whaling, which began in 1973. The two biggest leaders of Greenpeace's anti-whaling campaign were Paul and Linda Spong, a married couple.

What happened between Captain Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd? ›

In 2010, Watson personally received more than $120,000 from Sea Shepherd. Because of mounting legal complications, Watson stepped down as head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 2013, to abide by an injunction barring him from proximity with Japanese whaling ships.

Is Paul Watson still married? ›

Paul Watson(V)

He is an actor and producer, known for The Seacrets, Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers (2023) and END:CIV (2011) He has been married to Yana Rusinovich since 14 February 2015. They have two children.

Is whaling still legal? ›

Whaling is illegal in most countries, however Iceland, Norway, and Japan still actively engage in whaling . Over a thousand whales are killed each year for their meat and body parts to be sold for commercial gain. Their oil, blubber, and cartilage are used in pharmaceuticals and health supplements.

Which country kills the most whales? ›

Norway killed 580 whales in 2022, and has reportedly hunted 15,000 whales since the 1986 moratorium was established. The numbers of whales hunted by Japan has been decreasing most years, although the nation intends to ramp up its whaling operations.

Where is whaling still? ›

Although whale-hunting has happened for centuries in just about every place near an ocean, today there are just three countries where commercial whaling is still practiced: Norway, Japan, and Iceland.

Why is whaling bad? ›

The problem of whaling can be interpreted in many different ways, but the most typical objections of the anti-whaling community are that whales must not be caught because they are in danger of extinction; whales must not be killed because they are special (highly intelligent) animals; resumption of whaling would ...

What countries are anti-whaling? ›

However, deep divides between pro-whaling nations like Japan, Iceland and Norway and anti-whaling countries like Australia, the UK and Brazil, continued to challenge the IWC. Defying the moratorium, countries continued industrial whaling under “reservations” or under the pretence of “scientific whaling”.

Does Russia do whaling? ›

The Chukotka Autonomous District is the only place in the Russian Federation where traditional whaling is an activity of special importance.

What team is Paul Watson on? ›

Austin Spurs

Why did Sea Shepherd change their name? ›

Our aim is to promote, intervene, educate, and raise awareness about ocean conservation. Formerly known as Sea Shepherd UK , our name change signifies our commitment to realising our founder's original vision of protecting marine life.

What is the Sea Shepherd controversy? ›

In the ensuing decades, the group developed an outlaw reputation; Sea Shepherd crews have jammed the propellers of whaling vessels, blocked harpoon shots with their boats and bodies, and prevented ships from refueling at sea, forcing them back to port empty-handed.

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