Denmark Extends Captain Paul Watson's Detention once again, as Danish Ministry of Justice is expected to make a decision on his extradition case within the next 14 days.

Captain Paul Watson, Outside Nuuk Prison – Robert Read CPWF UK 

Paul Watson’s Fight for Justice Continues in Greenland

Today, Paul Watson, renowned ocean conservationist, co-founder of Greenpeace, founder of Sea Shepherd and now the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), faced his seventh court hearing in Nuuk, Greenland. This pivotal session coincides with Watson's 74th birthday, marking another sombre milestone in his prolonged detention.

The Danish Ministry of Justice has informed Watson’s legal team that a decision on Japan's extradition request will be made within the next 14 days. Meanwhile, today’s hearing has resulted in his remand until December 18th, prolonging an ordeal that began in July 2024 and has endured 6 hearings and 7 audiences to date. For now, he will remain in Denmark’s high-security Anstalten prison. 

Paul Watson has dedicated his life to protecting the oceans, yet his current situation highlights the injustice of politically charged extradition proceedings. The charges stem from a 2010 anti-whaling operation in the Southern Ocean, where a crew member—not Watson—threw a stink bomb onto an empty deck of a Japanese whaling vessel. This stink bomb was made of butyric acid, which is widely considered a completely harmless substance that is also found in gone off dairy products. Japan’s prosecution claims that this stink-bomb endangered its crew and was a premeditated act of aggression against a vessel with people on board. 

They claim Watson’s presence and conspiratorial role is enough to justify its extradition orders, yet no credible evidence ties him to violent actions. Video evidence from his defence, which they claim proves his innocence, has been refused submission by the judge in all legal proceedings so far. If extradited, Watson faces up to 15 years in a country where Amnesty International has condemned judicial practices as abusive.

In court today, Watson gave a heartfelt statement, reflecting on his time in detention:

"I never thought in July that I’d see my 74th birthday here in this courtroom. I was confident that the evidence and documentation would prove my innocence. Instead, I’ve missed my son’s third birthday in August, my other son’s eighth birthday, and now I may miss Christmas with my family. This is injustice, pure and simple."

Watson criticised the political motivations behind Japan's extradition request, claiming:

"Japan has threatened Denmark with cutting contracts on windmills unless they secure my extradition. This is blatantly political. Denmark is a champion of human rights, and I cannot see how they can justify sending me to a country with a judicial system condemned by international organisations for human rights violations."

As the world watches, activists and supporters call on Denmark to uphold its human rights commitments and reject Japan's politically motivated extradition request. This has included the likes of Sylvia Earle, David Attenborough, and Jane Goodall. Watson’s lifelong work to protect marine ecosystems must not be undermined by unjust prosecution.

Co-written by Elven Villecourt and Anna Zuurmond / Captain paul watson foundation UK