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Japan seeks extradition of anti-whaling activist Watson from Denmark

18 Comments

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As I said before, Watson will be extradited to Japan to face charges for crimes of violence at sea which are completely independent of anyone's belief or opinions on whaling. He put the lives of seafarers on both sides at risk.

4 ( +22 / -18 )

Watson's French lawyer Francois Zimeray said Japan's justice system could not be trusted to give the activist a fair trial, and that Denmark should deny the request for extradition.

Greenland is an autonomous province of Denmark. Any decision to extradite Watson must be made by the Danish justice ministry, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He can appeal and win, otherwise he'll get Japan hostage justice treatment.

-16 ( +10 / -26 )

Outside the issue of whaling whether it is ethical or not, if someone committed any crime against Japan or its properties and put in risk lives of Japanese people, that person must pay to Japanese justice...

The sooner Watson learns basic Japanese lessons, the better for him..

-10 ( +12 / -22 )

Macron has stepped into the case and is in contact with the relevant people in Denmark. Extradition won't happen. EU courts will take a long time in appeals. This is going nowhere fast.

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

Watson isn't worth the time and money to appeal an extradition order. Although I'm sure he's counting on playing Ghosn argument. Bigger question is why did he come to Greenland. He's been charged by Denmark before so he knew the risk.

0 ( +14 / -14 )

Watson's French lawyer Francois Zimeray said Japan's justice system could not be trusted to give the activist a fair trial, and that Denmark should deny the request for extradition.

Devil is in the detail. Macron publicly steps into the case and now he has a French lawyer. Doesn't take much to connect the dots here.

Not only that he is a very high-profile lawyers in France, meaning one of the most high-profile lawyers in France and a former politician (of the European Parliament). He was France's Ambassador-at-large for Human Rights. He is also a former diplomat for France as ambassador to a country called.... wait for it... Denmark.

Now lawyers like this don't come cheap and need someone pulling strings:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Zimeray

Watson will never be extradited. Read the link above.

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

Paul Watson is extradited to Japan and in jail for years. After that, he is extradited to Costa Rica as the red notice is still issued by its government.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

Love whales, hate whalers, hate Japan . . . this isn't about that. This is about terrorism. Violence at sea in the way this guy did it is terrorism. So, maybe you think he did it for the right reasons. 19 terrorists on 9/11 thought they were doing it for the right reasons, too. Are you going to cut them some slack, too? This is about crime. Dangerous crime.

3 ( +16 / -13 )

Guilty until proven innocent - the sad joke that japanese law is !

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

Breaking property and interfering in legal activities at sea under international law deserves prosecution.

Boarding a ship at sea without the captain's permission isn't allowed, is it?

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Certainly acts of piracy should be punished but does anyone punish China for violent acts of Piracy in Philippine waters? I mean what's good for the Gander .... and does anyone really think he could get a fair trial in Japan which behaves like a recalcitrant school child and continues whaling despite almost all civilised countries condemning it? If a trial is necessary, charge him under international laws and have a trial at The Hague.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Hopefully prison for this maniac.

3 ( +13 / -10 )

Denmark had unofficially conveyed its intention to accept the extradition.

Good for Denmark.

Time is up for Watson - technically a Pirate, just like those scum Somalians and other Africans off the horn of Africa. Watson - like them - places lives at danger.

Watson is looking at up to ten years in a Japanese prison.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

The Sankei daily, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, reported on Thursday that Denmark had unofficially conveyed its intention to accept the extradition.

It's not official till it's official. Be careful with leaks in the mainstream J-press, particularly on international issues. Things often get lost in translation. Especially a far-right newspaper prone to revisionism that often gets carried away.

This will have a long way to run in the EU courts - welcome to Brussels-style bureaucracy.

And Watson has some powerful allies in his corner now who have other ideas. His French lawyer (read above 8:55am) is a big indicator Macron is involved, who incidentally has already publicly stated he is. Canada will surely get involved too.

Unlikely they will allow a 75 year old man to be victimized by a known controversial legal system is a fair guess, combined with the overall politically motivated nature of it.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

When other countries seek extradition of women who literally kidnap children and spirit them away to Japan, or people who murder foreign nationals, Japan says they don't recognize the right of the requests. Why on earth do they suddenly demand a person be sent to Japan, where he will be unfairly prosecuted (probably far more harshly than a murderer) and expect everyone to comply?

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

"As I said before "....what will be on Denmarks Judicial systems' mind is WHETHER WATSON CAN GET A FREE AND FAIR TRIAL IN JAPAN .

Would they extradite to ,say, Myanmar ?

My money is on no extradition.

Denmarks Court are not going to run through evidence, call witnesses and reach a verdict....they will want to know if a fair trial could occur in Japan, the land of "hostage justice,", forced confessions," ,"solitary confinement " and no "access to lawyers or family or supporters "

J

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Japan's legal system is not on trial. They aren't going to care about Japan's system. And aren't going to care even if raised on appeal.

The issue is only whether the specific crimes Watson is charged with in Japan are also crimes under Danish law. Then all Denmark needs to decide is whether they extradite him and ensure that if ever a fujitive from Danish justice is arrested in Japan they can expect him to be extradited to Denmark. Or Japan may choose to deny a Danish extradition request.

Don;t see any benefit at all for Denmark to deny it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The world needs less extremists. Lock him up.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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