Environmental activist Paul Watson has decided to appeal the recent ruling regarding his detention in Greenland, which will now be reviewed by the Greenlandic High Court (Grønlands Landsret). Initially, on Thursday, the Sermersooq District Court (Sermersooq Kredsret) determined that Watson’s detention would be extended until September 5. This decision was made to ensure his presence while a potential extradition request to Japan is considered.

Watson, who has dedicated much of his life to environmental activism, was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland, by the Greenlandic police with support from the Danish police. He is wanted by Japanese authorities for incidents that occurred in 2010 in Antarctica, where he is accused of interfering with Japanese whalers’ operations. Japan is seeking his extradition for allegedly causing harm to an individual, a crime that could result in up to 15 years in prison in Japan.

During the court proceedings, the prosecution argued for continued detention to allow the Ministry of Justice (Justitsministeriet) time to review the extradition request. Watson’s defense maintained that he should not be extradited and had prepared video evidence to counter the most serious charges. However, the court declined to view the video evidence based on the prosecution’s argument of potential manipulation of the material.

Paul Watson, a well-known co-founder of Greenpeace and now the leader of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, has declared his innocence regarding the charges and claims that Japan is seeking revenge. Another court hearing concerning his detention is scheduled for September 4.