**Environmental Activist Paul Watson Arrested in Greenland – Japan Calls for Extradition**
Greenland served as the stage for a dramatic arrest of environmental activist Paul Watson in Nuuk on Sunday. Japan has been seeking to prosecute Watson since 2010, and now the Justice Ministry has responded.
In a written statement on Friday, the Justice Ministry indicated that there are no grounds to reject a future request from Japan for Watson’s extradition. The ministry referred to a provision in Greenland’s extradition law that mandates a preliminary assessment in such cases.
“It follows from the provision that the Ministry of Justice must carry out a preliminary evaluation of whether there are grounds to preemptively reject a request for extradition from Greenland,” the ministry stated. The ministry found no basis for a preemptive rejection in Watson’s case.
The arrest of the 73-year-old Watson was made based on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan in 2010. The warrant relates to an incident in Antarctica, where, according to Japanese authorities, Watson assaulted whalers and obstructed their work.
Greenland’s Police have stated that the decision regarding Watson’s extradition lies with the Justice Ministry in Denmark. Watson’s defense argues that extraditing him to Japan would violate the European Convention on Human Rights, as they claim Japan does not uphold human rights standards.
Following his arrest, Watson has been remanded in custody until a court hearing on August 15. He has appealed his detention, but Greenland’s High Court has since upheld the decision. The Justice Ministry is now awaiting a formal request from the Japanese authorities, which must be submitted no later than 30 days after the arrest. The case will then be reassessed.
The matter of Paul Watson’s possible extradition from Greenland has already attracted significant attention and reactions from various parties. How the Justice Ministry in Denmark will evaluate the request and what the consequences will be for Paul Watson remains to be seen.