Greenpeace co-creator gets detained

(MENAFN) Paul Watson, a prominent environmental activist and co-founder of Greenpeace, was arrested on Sunday under an international warrant issued by Japan. The arrest took place after Watson’s ship was raided by police upon docking in Greenland for resupply. Watson, who is 73 years old, has been a target of Japanese authorities for over a decade due to his involvement in violent confrontations with local whalers.

Watson has since appeared before a district court, which will now determine whether he will be extradited to Japan. The Captain Paul Watson Foundation has condemned the extradition request, calling it “politically motivated” and urging the Danish government to release Watson immediately. The Foundation revealed that Watson was actively involved in a campaign against the Kangei Maru, a new Japanese whaling vessel, at the time of his arrest.

The arrest is linked to a long-standing international Red Notice issued by Japan in 2012. This notice was related to charges of causing damage and injury during two separate incidents with a Japanese whaling ship in 2010. Although the Red Notice had been reportedly withdrawn, the Foundation claims Japan reinstated it discreetly to facilitate Watson’s arrest. The Foundation expressed surprise at this development, noting that Japan’s actions seem to have been aimed at detaining Watson under the guise of a secretive procedure.

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