Paul Watson arrested by Greenland police amid Japan extradition warrant

Paul Watson, the 73-year-old co-founder of environmental organizations Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, was arrested by Greenland police shortly after docking his ship on Sunday. Currently leading The Captain Paul Watson Foundation, he is known for his radical and confrontational methods aimed at protecting endangered whales, often placing himself between whalers and their targets. His tactics have led to numerous altercations, particularly with Japanese whalers, who are one of the few nations that continue to hunt and kill large whales illegally.

Watson was taken into custody in Nuuk, Greenland, following a warrant issued by Japan in 2010, while Interpol’s arrest order dates back to 2012. He faces charges of burglary, property damage, obstruction of business, and personal injury related to incidents in Antarctica in February 2010. He has opposed extradition to Japan, with his legal team arguing that it would violate the European Convention on Human Rights, claiming Japan fails to uphold fundamental rights.

The Captain Paul Watson Foundation claimed the arrest is politically motivated, coinciding with Watson’s planned campaign against Japan’s new whaling ship, Kangei Maru, which he describes as a significant threat to whales. The ship is equipped to process large quantities of whale meat and employs modern technology to locate whales at great distances.

Although whaling is widely condemned and banned in many parts of the world, Japan has continued its practices under the guise of scientific research, a claim that was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2014. Watson has appealed his detention, and the Greenlandic court is set to review the case.