After spending five months in a Greenland prison, Paul Watson, the founder of Sea Sheperd, settled in Marseille. During a meeting with the major of the city, he thanked the city for its support and said he was ready to continue the fight against whale hunters worldwide.
Marseille had displayed a large portrait of him in front of the town hall while Watson was imprisoned in Greenland for 149 days.
"Being in prison was an opportunity to focus international attention on Japan's crimes, the fact that they are killing whales in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. This is not my opinion; it is the opinion of the International Court of Justice," Watson said during a press conference in Marseille.
"And I would like to thank the mayor of Marseille and the people of Marseille for the incredible support I received while I was in prison," he added.
'Prison helped our cause': Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson plans next steps in France
Watson's detention by Denmark followed the country's response to an Interpol Red Notice from 2012, following an arrest warrant issued by Japan.
"We will confront Interpol, politically and legally […] Not just for me but for hundreds of others. Countries use Interpol as a political weapon against whistleblowers and activists," Watson said.
The environmental activist did not say if he would return to the sea immediately.
He stated that his priority was to prevent Japan from returning to the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary, as well as stopping Iceland from killing whales this summer. He also plans to halt the illegal slaughter of pilot whales in the Danish Faroe Islands archipelago.
(with newswires)
