Tokyo would strongly condemn if Paul Watson, founder of the anti-whaling organization Sea Shepherd, were extradited to Japan and found guilty, Robert Read, a senior executive at the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, said in a recent interview.
“If Japan ever takes Paul to court in Japan, it will actually be counterproductive for Japan because they are putting whaling on trial by conducting it in the global spotlight,” said Read, COO of the marine conservation group formerly known as Sea Shepherd UK.
His possible trial in Japan would “create a martyr situation for whaling,” he said. “Japan would actually get more global attention for its whaling, not less.”
Read asked Japan if it “really wants to be known for imprisoning one of the world’s most famous whale conservationists and letting him die in a Japanese prison,” adding: “I think that’s a big mistake by Japan because it will actually increase global attention on Japanese whaling.”
Watson was put on an international wanted list in 2010 on suspicion of interfering with Japan’s scientific whaling program. He was arrested last month in Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark, and Japan is seeking his extradition.
Read called for Watson’s release, arguing: “We don’t believe you will get a fair trial (in Japan).”
Watson could be sentenced to 15 years in prison, which would be “a life sentence” for him, Read claimed. Such a sentence would be “outrageous in excess” for an environmental activist, he said.
In the meantime, the process of deciding whether to extradite Watson could drag on, Read said.
