Watson, the 73-year-old American-Canadian founder of activist group Sea Shepherd, was arrested on Sunday in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, under an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.
He will remain in custody until August 15, while the Danish justice ministry decides whether he should be extradited.
But a justice ministry statement said Wednesday: "Extradition from Greenland for prosecution in other countries can only occur following an extradition request from the country that issued the arrest warrant."
Only when such a request was received would the ministry decide whether there were grounds to extradite, the statement added. And for the moment, they are still waiting to hear from Japan.
"Such an extradition request must be submitted no later than 30 days after the arrest."
But Japan's government, in its first comments on Watson's arrest, said Wednesday it had long been pressing countries to detain him.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo the Coast Guard authority would "take the appropriate action" in the case, in consultation with other ministries.
- 'Appropriate action' -
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said Tuesday that he had already asked the Danish authorities not to extradite Watson, who has lived in France for the past year.
French screen legend Brigitte Bardot is among the campaigners who have rallied to his cause, calling for his release.
Watson was arrested after arriving in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, when the ship John Paul DeJoria docked to refuel.
The vessel was on its way to "intercept" Japan's new whaling factory vessel in the North Pacific, said a statement from the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF).
Watson was arrested on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued in 2012, when Japan has accused him of causing damage and injury to one of its Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic two years earlier.
At the time Japanese ships, pursued aggressively by activists, hunted whales in the Antarctic and North Pacific for "scientific" purposes.
The CPWF said the arrest had come as a "surprise since the Foundation's lawyers had reported that the Red Notice had been withdrawn".
Japan, Norway and Iceland are the last three countries in the world to practice commercial whale hunting.
Japan says arrest of anti-whaling activist long sought
Tokyo (AFP) July 24, 2024 -
Japan said on Wednesday that it had long been pushing countries to arrest anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who is in custody in Greenland facing possible extradition.
Police in the autonomous Danish territory arrested Watson, the American-Canadian founder of activist group Sea Shepherd, on Sunday under an Interpol "red notice" issued by Japan.
The 73-year-old is to remain in custody until August 15, while the Danish justice ministry must decide on whether he should be extradited to Japan.
"Japan has long been making the necessary efforts to the relevant countries' authorities," spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in the government's first comments on Watson's arrest.
"In any case, we understand that the Japan Coast Guard, which continues to investigate this matter, will take appropriate action in consultation with the relevant ministries," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Tuesday he was pressing authorities in Denmark, a fellow member of the European Union, not to extradite Watson.
An online petition in France for Macron to call for Watson's release has gathered almost 475,000 signatures, including celebrities such as film star and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.
The red notice was issued in 2012, with an Interpol statement at the time saying Watson was wanted by Japan on charges of causing damage and injury against a Japanese whaling ship in the Antarctic Ocean two years earlier.
At the time Japanese ships, pursued aggressively by activists, hunted whales in the Antarctic and North Pacific for "scientific" purposes.
Japan now conducts whaling only inside its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, going after Bryde's, minke and sei whales.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) said on Monday that the arrest was a "surprise since the Foundation's lawyers had reported that the Red Notice had been withdrawn".
CPWF said the ship John Paul DeJoria was en route to the Northwest Passage on its way to intercept Japan's newly built factory ship, the Kangei Maru, in the North Pacific when Watson was arrested.
The Kangei Maru, a 9,300-tonne "mothership" that set off from Japan in May, processes whales caught by smaller vessels and stores their meat for later consumption in Japan.
However, the CPWF said it suspects Japan will use its new ship to resume high-seas whaling in the Southern Ocean and North Pacific by 2025.
Macron urges against anti-whaling activist's extradition
Paris (AFP) July 23, 2024 -
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said Tuesday he was pressing Danish authorities not to extradite arrested anti-whaling activist Paul Watson to Japan.
Watson, the 73-year-old American-Canadian founder of activist group Sea Shepherd, has lived in France for the past year.
Macron is "following the situation closely" and "intervening with the Danish authorities", his Elysee palace office said.
Watson was arrested in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, on Sunday under an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.
He is to remain in custody until August 15, while the Danish justice ministry must decide on whether he should be extradited.
In France, an online petition for Macron to call for Watson's release has gathered 388,000 signatures.
Green party lawmakers also pressured Macron, while 89-year-old film legend Brigitte Bardot told Le Parisien daily Monday: "We must do everything to save Paul".
Watson's ship docked in Greenland's capital Nuuk Sunday to refuel and he was arrested on board.
The vessel was on its way to "intercept" a Japanese whale hunting and processing ship in the North Pacific, his Captain Paul Watson Foundation said in a statement.
Japan is one of the last three countries in the world to permit commercial whaling along with Iceland and Norway.
Watson's foundation said he was the target of an Interpol red notice over events during a clash with a Japanese whaler in the Antarctic dating back to 2010, including property damage and injuries.
"The Japanese arrest warrant is illegal. It violates all international human rights treaties," said Francois Zimeray, one of Watson's lawyers.
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