Denmark Rejects Extradition of Activist Paul Watson

The Danish Ministry of Justice has rejected Japan's extradition request for anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, allowing him to return home after five months of detention in Greenland. Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was arrested in July on a Japanese warrant related to 2010 charges of damaging a Japanese whaling ship, which he has called 'a total fabrication'. Denmark's decision considered the length of Watson's detention and the 14-year gap since the alleged incident. Japan expressed regret over the decision, as Watson was wanted internationally for his confrontational tactics against whaling. Watson's release allows him to reunite with his family in France, while he plans to avoid countries with extradition treaties with Japan. The decision marks a significant development in the ongoing tension between Japan and anti-whaling activists.