Captain Paul Watson’s arrest: a grave injustice

Captain Paul Watson, a well-known activist and founder of Sea Shepherd, was arrested in Greenland while refueling his boat. His serious "fault"? Having defended whales from hunters for which he now risks extradition to Japan

In a shocking and unjust incident, Captain Paul Watson, 73, was arrested and handcuffed by Danish police in Greenland while refueling his boat. This event has outraged all those who care about justice and the protection of our planet.

Who is Paul Watson?

Paul Watson is a Canadian activist and environmentalist, renowned for founding and leading the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an organization dedicated to protecting marine resources and ocean wildlife. Watson has devoted his life to safeguarding the oceans and the whales, yet now he faces imprisonment and extradition to Japan, the country that requested his arrest.

This arrest is believed to be linked to a previous Red Notice issued due to Watson’s pro-whale activities in Antarctica. The arrest came as a surprise, as Sea Shepherd’s lawyers had reported the notice was withdrawn. However, it appears Japan had kept the notice confidential to facilitate Watson’s travel and subsequent arrest.

His “crime”? Saving whales

Paul Watson is not a criminal. His only “crime” is his brave and determined efforts to protect whales, placing himself between Japanese whaling ships and their targeted cetaceans. It is absurd and deeply troubling that a man can be arrested for defending endangered species.

We live in an upside-down world where whale hunters should be stopped and prosecuted, not those who fight against them. This is a disgrace for Japan, which goes to any lengths to continue the slaughter of these creatures, and a shame for Denmark for cooperating in this injustice instead of voicing dissent.

Currently, Paul Watson is before a judge at the Sermersooq district court, and the police are pushing for his detention. The Ministry of Justice will then decide on his extradition to Japan.

Mobilize for Paul Watson

We cannot stay silent in the face of this grave injustice. We must mobilize massively to demand the release of Paul Watson and prevent his extradition to Japan, where he risks dying in prison.

What can we do concretely? Captain Watson’s Instagram pages encourage sending an email to the Danish embassy in the United Kingdom (lunamb@um.dk) to request Paul Watson’s release.

Let’s flood them with emails!