Riccardo Liguori Bad news for Paul Watson and for environmentalism: Greenland has decided to prolong the activist's preventive detention, ignoring the video evidence presented by the defense. Watson, who has already spent 73 days in prison, launches an appeal for the defense of the oceans and the right to activism
Clearly, the court cases against Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, are taking a turn for the worse. According to reports, the judiciary in Greenland has extended his preventive detention in Nuuk Prison until October 23 and refused to allow him to present video evidence supporting his case. A lot of indignation and concern follows this decision.
“This is my 73rd day in prison“, Watson said in an impassioned plea. “I have missed my children’s birthdays-my youngest just turned 3 and my eldest, 8. My accusers are criminals, and it’s not just my opinion: the International Court of Justice and the Australian Federal Court have said so.”
Watson also cited the 2014 ruling of the International Court of Justice that declared Japan’s Antarctic whaling program to be illegal, as well as the judgment by the Australian Federal Court against Japanese whaling company Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha for killing whales in a protected sanctuary.
But the judge nevertheless decided that “the conditions for extradition have been met” and denied video evidence that could prove the innocence of Watson. The prosecutor is requesting his extradition based on his participation in a protest back in 2010, when activist Pete Bethune had thrown a stink bomb at a whaling ship.
“The detention measures are excessive“, Watson’s lawyer argued, underlining the lack of grounds for the accusations and how disproportionate to the supposed offenses the punishment has been.
An icon in the fight against whaling, Watson has been imprisoned since July 21 because of an international arrest warrant from Japan which accuses him of interfering with the work of a whaling vessel back in 2010.
Undeterred, Watson’s commitment to whale protection remains steadfast, and the calls for support have continued unabated. In his words, the activist has said, “This battle is not just about me; it is about the future of the oceans and the protection of human rights and environmental activism.”.
