According to a French asylum company doc seen on Tuesday, NGO Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson has been refused political asylum in France.The twin US/Canadian citizen has an impressive arrest warrant from Japan relating to wreck brought about to a Japanese whaling ship in 2010.
Francehas refused to grant politicalasylumto anti-whalingactivist Paul Watson, who’s beneath 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 circumstances, mentioned his fears had been unfounded, as each the United States and Canada are democracies ruled by the rule of legislation,” in keeping with 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 accountability for harm 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 mentioned he’s upset by Ofpras resolution, however added that he hopes to accumulate French citizenship.
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In its resolution, Ofpra mentioned Watson offered no critical proof to counsel that he wouldn’t be capable of assert his rights beneath common extradition procedures ought to he be arrested in Canada or the United States.
France will not be honouring itself by refusing political asylum to Paul Watson, his lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, mentioned.
Japan maintains its worldwide arrest warrant, so he’s nonetheless at risk, wherever he might journey.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally printed on France24