Paul Watson: request for political asylum in France

Whale defender Paul Watson is currently in pre-trial detention in Greenland, while the Danish justice system examines an extradition request from Japan. According to an announcement made by Sea Shepherd France on October 16, Watson has officially requested political asylum in France, a move presented to Emmanuel Macron in a letter addressed to the French president a few days ago. Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France, shared this information at a recent press conference.

Watson, founder of the non-governmental organization Sea Shepherd, is under fire from Japanese critics for his commitment to anti-whaling, a practice still practiced by Japanese fishermen. He was arrested on July 21 in Greenland, following an international arrest warrant issued by Japan in 2012 for “conspiracy to board”, accusing Watson of obstructing the operations of its whalers in Antarctica.

His detention was recently extended until October 23, pending a decision by the Danish authorities on the extradition requested by Tokyo.