Paul Watson, the founder of Vancouver, Canada-based marine conservation nonprofit Sea Shepherd, will remain in custody in Greenland until at least 4 December, pending a decision by Danish authorities on whether to extradite him to Japan.
Since 21 July, the 73-year-old activist has been in the custody of the police in Greenland due to a 12-year-old arrest order in Japan. The activist is accused of causing damage to a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctica in 2010 and injuring a crew member by shooting a stink bomb on the ship to disrupt activities aboard.
Though his custody in Greenland was extended to 4 December, the judge in the case has also called upon Danish authorities to make a decision sooner rather than later.
If handed over to Japanese authorities, he would face trial over confrontational tactics toward a Japanese whaling ship, and if found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in prison.
Watson was allowed to make closing remarks in a recent court hearing in Greenland and pleaded for the judge to allow him to get home before Christmas.
“The Japanese are allowed to continue with their illegal whaling, while I’m behind bars in Greenland. Japan is a criminal nation, and Denmark supports them. I and my children are punished,” he said, according to Greenland media outlet Sermitsiaq.ag.
Watson has been active in anti-whaling activism campaigns since the 1970s but has also been criticized for the vigilante tactics he sometimes employs in his activism.
In 2022, Watson was ousted from his role at Sea Shepherd over a disagreement over the discourse he used. Watson wanted to continue the organization’s efforts to combat whalers and illegal fisheries using "aggressive nonviolence," while the organization stated it wanted to move away from its controversial past.
In the Faroe Islands, several Sea Shepherd employees have faced trial over disrupting whaling operations.
Greenland is an autonomous part of the Danish Kingdom, so ultimately, the Danish minister of justice will decide Watson's fate. Some pressure has been put on Danish authorities to not comply with Japan's request, including from France President Manuel Macron and celebrities such as movie director James Cameron.
The latest reports from Sermitsiaq.ag indicate the minister of justice has not set a date to decide whether extradition will take place or not, and the courts have also not scheduled when it will hear the case.
