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The Star
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Japan vows to pursue anti-whaling activist Watson despite Interpol decision
Interpol has lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson. - AFP TOKYO: Japan reacted angrily on Wednesday (July 23) after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid. Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan. But "Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me", Watson said in a statement Tuesday, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers' "vendetta". Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Tokyo called the decision "extremely regrettable", with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan. "The removal doesn't change the fact that Japan's arrest warrant for him is valid," Hayashi told a regular news briefing. "Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition," he said. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On Dec 20, Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. - AFP
Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Interpol deletes wanted notice for anti-whaler Paul Watson
DPA Paris Well-known anti-whaling activist Paul Watson is no longer wanted by the international police organization Interpol, after the 'red notice' against him was deleted. The notice issued at Japan's request has been deleted, according to a spokesman for the France-based organisation on Wednesday. An internal control commission made the decision in light of Denmark's decision not to extradite Watson to Japan. A red notice allows a country to request that a person be located and provisionally arrested. It is not the same as an international arrest warrant. Interpol coordinates cross-border cooperations, but each country decides for itself how to handle a case. According to Watson's lawyer, William Julié, the commission considered the manhunt for the conservationist to be disproportionate, partly because the case was so old and no serious crime had been alleged. Following an incident with a whaling ship in the Antarctic in 2010, the Japanese authorities had Watson searched and accused him of damaging the ship and preventing the whalers from doing their work. Watson denied any wrongdoing. In July last year, the Canadian-American citizen was detained in Greenland. However, Denmark eventually released him and decided not to extradite him to Japan.
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Japan vows to pursue anti-whaling activist Paul Watson despite Interpol decision
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Interpol has lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson. TOKYO - Japan reacted angrily on July 23 after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid. Interpol had issued the notice against Mr Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan. But 'Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me', Mr Watson said in a statement on July 22, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers' 'vendetta'. Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Tokyo called the decision 'extremely regrettable', with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan. 'The removal doesn't change the fact that Japan's arrest warrant for him is valid,' Mr Hayashi told a regular news briefing. 'Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition,' he said. Mr Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On Dec 20, Mr Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. AFP
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson
PARIS: Global police organisation Interpol has lifted a red wanted notice requesting the arrest of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, with the campaigner saying Tuesday he was finally free of the Japanese whalers' "vendetta." "Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me," Watson said in a statement, adding the charges against him were "politically motivated." Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan, but has now decided the measure was "disproportionate", his lawyer William Julie said in a separate statement. "The Japanese whalers have been after me for 14 years ever since I was first detained in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2012," Watson said in the statement published by his ocean conservation charity, The Captain Paul Watson Foundation. "It has been an incredible pursuit by a very powerful nation using unlimited resources but finally I am free of their vendetta and their relentless persecution," said Watson, who is also the founder of the Sea Shepherd direct action group. A spokesperson for Interpol confirmed to AFP that the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) had deleted the red notice, which is a request to police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On December 20, he returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. "The decision to delete Mr Watson's red notice was made by the CCF – an independent body tasked to ensure that the processing of personal data by Interpol is in compliance with its constitution and rules," the Interpol spokesperson said. "This is not a judgement on the merits of the case, or the events that occurred in 2010, but a decision based on Interpol's rules on the processing of data," the spokesperson added. "The CCF decision was made in light of new facts, including the refusal by the Kingdom of Denmark to extradite Mr Watson. This is in line with normal procedures." In a statement, Julie said the CCF considered that the red notice "did not meet Interpol's standards, citing the disproportionate nature of the charges, Mr Watson's supposed only indirect involvement (which is contested), the considerable passage of time since the alleged facts, Denmark's refusal to extradite him, and the fact that several other countries declined to act on Japan's arrest or extradition requests." He also said that the Commission pointed to the existence of "political elements" around the case, which gave it an "importance beyond its intrinsic criminal characteristics or pure law-enforcement interest." Sea Shepherd France praised the decision as "a moral and symbolic victory" but warned that it did not yet restore Watson's freedom of movement. "The Japanese arrest warrant remains active, and any country can still choose to execute it," the group said on X.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson
Interpol had issued the notice against activist Paul Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan Global police organisation Interpol has lifted a red wanted notice requesting the arrest of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, with the campaigner saying Tuesday he was finally free of the Japanese whalers' "vendetta." "Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me," Watson said in a statement, adding the charges against him were "politically motivated." Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan, but has now decided the measure was "disproportionate", his lawyer William Julie said in a separate statement. "The Japanese whalers have been after me for 14 years ever since I was first detained in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2012," Watson said in the statement published by his ocean conservation charity, The Captain Paul Watson Foundation. "It has been an incredible pursuit by a very powerful nation using unlimited resources but finally I am free of their vendetta and their relentless persecution," said Watson, who is also the founder of the Sea Shepherd direct action group. A spokesperson for Interpol confirmed to AFP that the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) had deleted the red notice, which is a request to police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On December 20, he returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. Japanese arrest warrant - "The decision to delete Mr Watson's red notice was made by the CCF -- an independent body tasked to ensure that the processing of personal data by Interpol is in compliance with its constitution and rules," the Interpol spokesperson said. "This is not a judgement on the merits of the case, or the events that occurred in 2010, but a decision based on Interpol's rules on the processing of data," the spokesperson added. "The CCF decision was made in light of new facts, including the refusal by the Kingdom of Denmark to extradite Mr Watson. This is in line with normal procedures." In a statement, Julie said the CCF considered that the red notice "did not meet Interpol's standards, citing the disproportionate nature of the charges, Mr Watson's supposed only indirect involvement (which is contested), the considerable passage of time since the alleged facts, Denmark's refusal to extradite him, and the fact that several other countries declined to act on Japan's arrest or extradition requests." He also said that the Commission pointed to the existence of "political elements" around the case, which gave it an "importance beyond its intrinsic criminal characteristics or pure law-enforcement interest." Sea Shepherd France praised the decision as "a moral and symbolic victory" but warned that it did not yet restore Watson's freedom of movement. "The Japanese arrest warrant remains active, and any country can still choose to execute it," the group said on X. © 2025 AFP
