Greenland extends arrest of activist Paul Watson – 10/02/2024 – Environment

A Greenland court has extended the arrest of whale advocate Paul Watson until October 23, pending the Danish government’s decision whether to extradite him to Japan, which is demanding the measure for an action against a whaling ship in 2010.

Watson is the founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPFW). The 73-year-old Canadian is the best-known name in the anti-whaling movement. Their protests include clashes with whaling ships at sea.

Watson has been detained since July 21 in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

The Greenland court “ruled today [quarta-feira, 2] that Paul Watson must remain in custody until October 23, 2024 to ensure his presence in relation to the extradition decision,” local police said.

“Unfortunately, it does not surprise us. The court did not change its position,” Julie Stage, one of Watson’s lawyers, who appealed the decision, told AFP.

“This is all based on a false accusation by a criminal enterprise, the Japanese whaling industry,” Watson declared as he entered the courtroom.

Japan accuses the environmentalist of having injured a crew member during an action to prevent the operation of whalers.

His lawyers, in turn, defend his innocence and claim to have videos that prove that the allegedly injured crew member was not on board at the time.

The Danish Justice Ministry, which must decide whether to extradite Watson, told AFP that the assessment “was ongoing” but gave no information on when it would make a decision.