A Greenland court on Wednesday extended the detention of US-Canadian anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, 73, in custody pending extradition to Japan over a whaling altercation. The court ruled that Watson must remain in custody until Oct 2 as a legal review continues in Nuuk, the capital of the Danish autonomous territory.
A court in Greenland has again extended the time in custody for a prominent anti-whaling activist as Denmark considers an extradition request from Japan.
The court ruled Wednesday that Canadian-American Paul Watson must remain in detention until Oct. 2 while Denmark’s justice ministry considers the request. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Japan.
Watson is the former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels have drawn widespread attention.
He was arrested on July 21 when his ship docked in Greenland’s capital. Japan’s coast guard sought his arrest over an encounter with a Japanese whaling research ship in 2010, when he was accused of obstructing the crew’s official duties by ordering the captain of his ship to throw explosives.
Watson is said to face up to 15 years in prison.
(AP)
