Sea Shepherd Founder Paul Watson was met with cheering supporters when he arrived in Paris, France, after his release from Prison in Nuuk, Greenland, on 17 December following months in custody.
The anti-whaling activist spent five months in prison because of an extradition request from Japan, which itself was based on an arrest warrant the country issued 12 years ago. The warrant stemmed from alleged crimes Watson committed against Japanese whalers in the Antarctic.
Danish Minister of Justice Peter Humlegaard ultimately decided not to extradite the controversial activist. According to Danish Radio, the decision was made based on an "overall assessment of the circumstances."
If found guilty, Watson could have faced up to 15 years in jail. However, Danish authorities wanted to know if the sentence would be reduced because the accusations were so old – something Japanese authorities couldn't guarantee.
Watson told Danish media that he was happy about the coverage his custody had given to his cause and that he didn't regret going to Greenland.
"We try to take advantage of all situations. Any situation gives us a possibility, and this situation gave us a chance to expose the illegal activities from both Japan and the killing of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands," Watson said.
While Watson said he was happy about the decision and that he is excited to celebrate Christmas in France with his family, Japanese authorities were not happy.
"We regret that the Danish government has not accepted our extradition request, and we have conveyed this to the Danish side," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, according to Reuters.
Watson was originally arrested in Greenland after Faroese police tipped the Greenlandic police about the extradition order and that Watson and his crew were sailing to Greenland. The anti-whaling activist is an unpopular figure in the whaling nation of the Faroe Islands, which, like Greenland, is part of the Danish Kingdom. Faroese authorities said they were concerned about the Danish ministry’s decision.
"Paul Watson is an international criminal. It hasn't been possible to charge and let him be sentenced because he has been fleeing judicial systems around the world. To release him damages the perception of justice of the people who have been victims of his methods for decades," Faroese Minister of Justice and Interior Bjarni K. Petersen told Portal.fo.
His critique was echoed by pro-whaling organizations in the archipelago.
