Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson flees Germany, conservation group says

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      Canadian anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has left Germany and is in an undisclosed location, according to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

      Watson, the society’s founder, was arrested in Germany in May in connection with an alleged high-seas altercation with a Costa Rican shark-finning vessel in 2002.

      Watson was being detained in Germany for possible extradition to Costa Rica, according to the society.

      An arrest warrant had recently been issued for the high-profile activist in Germany after he allegedly skipped bail, the Canadian Press reports.

      “Captain Watson’s attorney reports he has left Germany,” Susan Hartland, administrative director of Sea Shepherd, said in a statement posted on the group’s website on July 25.

      Watson had previously run afoul of the Japanese government because of alleged efforts to disrupt the country’s whale hunters.

      “We have reason to believe from a reliable source that, once in Costa Rica, the Japanese Government may have sought extradition of Captain Watson to Japan to answer charges related to obstructing their illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary,” Hartland said.

      “We have no further information and are not in touch with him. We will do our best to provide more details as we learn more. We will post any new information as it arrives and we are able to confirm its validity."

      Watson, in his early 60s, was a founder of the Greenpeace Foundation and is a former Georgia Straight contributor.

      Comments

      8 Comments

      Evil Eye

      Jul 26, 2012 at 10:56am

      Run Paul run, as the major whaling and shark killing corporations have paid off politicians in 'banana republics' to pursue bogus criminal charges.

      Paul Watson is a real and alive (for now) Canadian hero, yet he will never win an "Odor of BC" or "Odor of Canada", or have schools, runs, or festivals named after him.

      We (Canada) ignore real hero's and instead cheer also rans to be role models. Paul Watson, a man of action, does what is needed to be done in a true Canadian fashion.

      hAYOKA

      Jul 26, 2012 at 12:00pm

      Smart move Paul you would have been killed in Costa Rica and you know it . I deeply respect and support the courage you and the Sea Shepard org. have shown in all aspects of the fight to preserve our oceans and earth from corporate greed and ignorance ( which runs almost all aspects of Politics and law now ) . Fight on Brothers and Sisters !!!

      Realitycheck

      Jul 26, 2012 at 12:01pm

      There are better ways to fight against whaling than using violence and endangering people's lives. We reap what we sow in life, and Watson has discovered the hard way that using force only leads to force against you.

      Skywalker

      Jul 26, 2012 at 3:12pm

      @Realitycheck - when you say better ways, perhaps you'd like to give us some examples. I would agree with you if the term and action "lobbying" wasn't present in business & governments. Then we could achieve our goals without force. But for now, no matter how hard you try money rules. Corporations have money, therefore the media, government will take their side. If there were better ways to fight against the destruction of nature/animals we wouldn't be facing these issues.

      non-anon

      Jul 26, 2012 at 10:47pm

      Isn't he Australian? His dialect sure seems like it.

      But his comments branding an entire nation as evil is absurd and for someone wanting innocent people to suffer from a tsunami is sickening.

      Realitycheck has got a point too. Violence is just wrong. If Gandhi, Mandela, and Suu Kyi can succeed by non-violence then so can everyone else.

      Martin Dunphy

      Jul 26, 2012 at 11:03pm

      non-anon:

      He is a Canadian citizen.

      Sheeple

      Jul 27, 2012 at 10:48am

      Costa Rica's Legal System is well known as CORRUPT.

      False Denuncia's (Criminal Charges) can be brought just on hearsay (2 witness statements)...that's all.

      It is easily used by those with deep pockets to bring bogus charges subjecting the Defendant to arbitrary pre-trial detention for years before even a hearing.

      Canadians should boycott Costa Rica don't support Corrupt Officials.

      There have been Canadians butchered in Costa Rica beware.

      ugh

      Aug 9, 2012 at 11:01am

      @Sheeple, can you cite any support for these accusations? I'm pretty impressed with the outright racism (banana republic? really?) in these comments.