Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson arrested in Greenland – DW – 22.07.2024

Greenland police said they arrested well-known environmental activist Paul Watson on Sunday as his ship docked in the capital Nuuk.

The 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen is known for his direct actions, such as confrontations with whaling ships on the high seas.

Watson also appeared in the reality TV series “Whale Wars.”

According to his organization, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), more than a dozen police officers boarded his ship when he arrived in Nuuk to refuel.

The ship, with 25 volunteer crew members and Watson on board, was en route to the North Pacific with a mission to intercept a new Japanese whaling ship, the foundation said.

Why was Paul Watson arrested?

“The arrest is believed to be related to a previous Red Notice issued for Captain Watson’s previous anti-whaling operations in the Antarctic,” the CPWF said in a statement.

“We implore the Danish government to release Captain Watson and not to comply with this politically motivated demand,” said Locky MacLean, director of the foundation, in the statement. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

In a statement, police said Watson would be brought before a district court with a request to be held in custody pending a possible extradition to Japan.

In 2012, Watson was arrested in Germany following an extradition warrant from Costa Rica.

One week after his arrest in Frankfurt, he was released on bail with the condition that he report regularly to the authorities until a decision on his extradition was made.

Despite the conditions of his release, he left Germany shortly afterwards.
fb/rm (AFP, AP)