Japan furious as Interpol lifts red notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

TOKYO, July 23 — Japan reacted angrily on Wednesday after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid.

Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan.

But “Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me”, Watson said in a statement Tuesday, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers’ “vendetta”.

Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect.

Tokyo called the decision “extremely regrettable”, with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan.

“The removal doesn’t change the fact that Japan’s arrest warrant for him is valid,” Hayashi told a regular news briefing.

“Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition,” he said.

Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler.  

He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers.

On December 20, Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. — AFP