Prominent anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has requested asylum in France to avoid extradition to Japan for a decade-old arrest warrant.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation, the activist’s environmental nonprofit, appealed to President Emmanuel Macron of France for political asylum Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Watson, who was arrested in Greenland in July, faces 15 years in prison if extradited to Japan, where he is accused of breaking onto a Japanese vessel, obstructing business and causing injury and property damage in 2010, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Police Arrest Reality TV Star After Boarding His Ship During Refuel)
FREE…..#FreePaulWatson pic.twitter.com/RRnbxMrYsg
— Captain Paul Watson Foundation 🐋🏴☠️ (@CaptPaulWatson) October 7, 2024
Watson was arrested in Nuuk, Greenland, in July after docking his ship to refuel, the outlet reported. Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.
A Greenland court extended Watson’s detention earlier this month to Oct. 23 while awaiting Danish Ministry of Justice’s decision on his extradition.
🌊 💙 A heartfelt thank you to the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall for her powerful message of support to Captain Paul Watson. For over 50 years, Paul has dedicated his life to defending our oceans and safeguarding whales, his reward? Arrest and the threat of a life sentence in… pic.twitter.com/88Bps72yFQ
— Captain Paul Watson Foundation 🐋🏴☠️ (@CaptPaulWatson) October 15, 2024
There was no immediate comment from Macron’s office Wednesday, though the French president has previously expressed support for Watson’s environmental activism, according to The Associated Press.
Critics of the activist’s arrest in Greenland say the arrest resulted from his longstanding opposition to Japan’s whaling practices, an industry banned by international treaty in 1986. Japan defends commercial whaling as part of its cultural heritage, according to the outlet.
Watson is well known for his reality television show, “Whale Wars,” which featured environmental activists interfering with Japanese whaling expeditions.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
