Canadian-American environmental activist Paul Watson will not be extradited to Japan. The decision came from the Danish Ministry of Justice, as announced by his defense lawyer, Julie Stage, to the news agency Ritzau.
As a result, he was released from the prison in Greenland where he had been detained for months.
According to DR, his lawyer Jonas Christoffersen said, “I have always believed that it was a trivial case that could not justify an extradition, and I am most annoyed that it has cost him five months of his life.”
Watson was arrested in Nuuk based on a Japanese arrest warrant. Japan sought his extradition and prosecution for an incident in Antarctica in 2010.
According to the Japanese authorities, Watson helped damage a whaling ship and also prevented Japanese whalers from carrying out their work.
During these months, he has received massive solidarity from both the public and VIPs.