According to an Ofpra doc recovered on Tuesday, NGO Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson has been refused political asylum in France.The twin US/Canadian citizen has an excellent arrest warrant from Japan relating to break triggered to a Japanese whaling ship in 2010.
Francehas refused to grant political asylum to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who’s below an arrest warrant fromJapan, rejecting his plea that he confronted arrest in his native Canada or within the United States.
Ofpra, the French company that handles asylum instances, mentioned his fears have been unfounded, as each the United States and Canada are democracies ruled by the rule of regulation,” based on a doc seen by AFP on Tuesday.
Watson, 74, who holds each US and Canadian citizenship, is the founding father of Sea Shepherd.
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He wasdetained in Greenlandfor 5 months final 12 months beforeDenmark rejected an extradition requestfrom Japan, which accused him of joint duty for injury and accidents aboard a Japanese whaling ship in 2010, as a part of a marketing campaign led by the NGO Sea Shepherd.
He arrived in France on the finish of 2024 and utilized for asylum in February.
Watson informed AFP he’s disenchanted by Ofpras determination, however added that he hopes to amass French citizenship.
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In its determination, Ofpra mentioned Watson offered no severe proof to counsel that he wouldn’t be capable to assert his rights below common extradition procedures ought to he be arrested in Canada or the United States.
France isn’t honouring itself by refusingpolitical asylumto Paul Watson, his lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, informed AFP.
Japan maintains its worldwide arrest warrant, so he’s nonetheless at risk, wherever he might journey.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally printed on France24