Activist Paul Watson asks France for political asylum to avoid possible extradition to Japan

PARIS (AP) — Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, known for his decades-long fight against Japanese whaling and arrested in Greenland in July, has asked France’s president for political asylum, Sea Shepherd France said Wednesday.

Watson faces extradition to Japan, where he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. He was detained after a Japanese request to Interpol over his confrontational tactics aimed at disrupting Japanese whaling operations in the Antarctic.

Sea Shepherd France told journalists they delivered a letter from Watson “in the last few days” to French President Emmanuel Macron, who previously expressed his support for Watson and emphasized the importance of the case to environmental advocacy and human rights.

There was no immediate comment from Macron’s office Wednesday.

Watson “wrote a letter in prison, which he gave to me, and it has been presented to the president through his counselors,” said the group’s president, Lamya Essemlali.

“Paul is very attached to France, and it is also the second largest marine territory in the world, which means a lot for ocean conservation. Paul is currently living in France with his family,” she added.

Watson was “down” and “isolated,” but “resilient,” Essemlali said.

Jean Tamalet, a lawyer associated with Sea Shepherd France, emphasized that the call for political asylum is largely symbolic and aimed at securing his release.

Critics of Watson’s arrest in Greenland have asserted that it stemmed from long-standing political motivations tied to Japan’s whaling practices, which are banned internationally under a 1986 treaty. Japan considers the practices part of its cultural heritage.

For decades, Watson has led high-profile confrontations with whaling ships in the Southern Ocean.

The arrest occurred when Watson’s ship docked in Nuuk, Greenland, for refueling on its way to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. Danish authorities are reviewing Japan’s request for his extradition.

Over a decade ago, Japan issued a Red Notice through Interpol, which is not an international arrest warrant but a request for cooperation between member states to locate and detain individuals pending extradition.

In the past, international authorities paid little attention, allowing Watson to travel freely, according to Tamalet, who added: “That has obviously changed.”

Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press