Environmental activist Paul Watson enters third month in Greenlandic prison

On Wednesday, the Court of Greenland is due to decide on whether to continue the detention of veteran environmental activist and Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson, 73, who is currently imprisoned in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk under an arrest warrant issued by Japan.

Paul Watson being arrested by Greenlandic police in Nuuk on July 21, 2024. Photo: Captain Paul Watson Foundation

On Wednesday, the Court of Greenland is due to decide on whether to continue the detention of veteran environmental activist and Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson, 73, who is currently imprisoned in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk.

The Canadian-born activist was arrested by Greenlandic police on 21 July during a refuelling stop aboard the ship ‘John Paul Dejoria’, en route to disrupt a Japanese whaling vessel.

He was arrested under an international warrant issued by Japan, which seeks Watson’s extradition to face trial for his anti-whaling interventions in the Antarctic region in 2010.

Japanese authorities believe he attacked Japanese whalers who were catching and killing whales and prevented them from doing so.

He is also charged with complicity in causing harm to a person.

Watson pleads not guilty.

As the activist’s imprisonment enters its third month, Denmark – in whose territory Greenland falls – is facing increasing international attention.

Since the arrest, there have been demonstrations for Watsons release in Copenhagen, New York and Paris.

Several celebrities and political figures have voiced their support for Watson, including French President Emmanuel Macron, whose office issued an official statement urging Danish authorities not to extradite the prominent environmentalist, according to Le Monde.

Actor Pierce Brosnan published a widely-circulated letter to the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen imploring her to “consider saving Paul Watson’s life”.

The hashtag #FreePaulWatson emerged on X, and the French actor turned animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot – a longtime patron of Watson’s work – told Le Parisien that he was “caught in a trap” and that the Japanese government had “launched a global manhunt”.

According to court law, an individual cannot be held in custody for more than four weeks without a hearing. Therefore, there has been a hearing on Watson’s continued detention approximately every month since his arrest.

Twice Watson has appealed the detention, and twice it has been extended by Greenland’s High Court, according to Ritzau.

After the latest hearing in August, Watson’s defence sought permission to escalate the issue of the continued jail term to the Supreme Court.

The Prosecution Grants Board has not yet delivered a decision on the request.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Justice in Denmark must decide whether Watson should be extradited to Japan.

Before then, the Ministry must obtain legal assessments from the Greenlandic Police and Attorney General.

When Watson was arrested, he had “stopped in Greenland with 25 volunteer crew to refuel, en route to the North West Passage as a part of the CPWF’s Operation Kangei Maru, a mission to intercept Japan’s newly-built factory whaling ship Kangei Maru in the North Pacific”, according to a CPWF press release.

The Kangei Maru’s vast 13,000km range is fuelling speculation that Japan may be planning a return to whaling in the Southern Ocean, five years after abandoning the controversial practice, reports The Guardian.

In May, the ship’s owner Kyodo Senpaku dismissed those suspicions.

“We left the IWC [International Whaling Commission] and so at this point in time it is not under consideration,” said spokesperson Konomu Kubo.

Japan has been the focus of strong anti-whaling activism. Before 2019, Japan hunted whales in the Antarctic and North Pacific, which it claimed was for ‘scientific’ purposes.

It currently operates commercial whaling along its own coastline.




  • Gangs of Copenhagen

    Gangs of Copenhagen

    While Copenhagen is rated one of the safest cities in the world year after year, it is no stranger to organized crime, which often springs from highly professional syndicates operating from the shadows of the capital. These are the most important criminal groups active in the city

  • “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    Carsten Norton is the author of several books about crime and gangs in Denmark, a journalist, and a crime specialist for Danish media such as TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet.

  • Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    For 40 years, there has been a ban on nuclear power in Denmark. This may change after all right-wing parties in the Danish Parliament have expressed a desire to remove the ban.

  • Tunø: An island running out of time

    Tunø: An island running out of time

    The island of Tunø harbors a community of 74 adults and one child. There are no cars and only one connection to the rest of the world. Now, climate change threatens it

  • Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    The number of relocations across the Øresund Region is rising. As highlighted by 2023 numbers, Sweden benefits from a growing interest, especially among younger generations.

  • In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    He’s tickled our funny bone with countless wisecracks and clever wordplay, and in the process, made Denmark feel a little more personable to many expats. An international import himself, funny man Conrad Molden has successfully carved out a niche for himself on the Danish stand-up scene, but it’s taken a solid 13 years, much trial and error, and heaps of Danglish

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.