Denmark's Justice Ministry on Tuesday rejected a Japanese extradition request and released Canadian-American anti-whaling activist Paul Watson from a Greenland jail after a five-month detention.

Watson, one of the world's best-known anti-whaling activists, was detained in the port of Nuuk, Greenland, this July 21 on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol.

Though autonomous, Greenland has belonged to Denmark since 1953.

Originally a member of Greenpeace, Watson later founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society but was removed from its board after a series of international arrests. He founded his own Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022.

Confrontational captain: Paul Watson denies Japan's accusations

Japan's arrest and extradition request stemmed from a 2010 incident in the Antarctic in which Watson was accused of having damaged a whaling vessel with explosives. Watson has called the charges "a total fabrication," saying: "We never used explosives. Ever. We did use stink bombs, which are quite harmless."

Watson's group said he had faced the possibility of up to 15 years in a Japanese jail had he been extradited. His lawyers say the warrant had been issued in retaliation for his publication of Japanese infringements on international whaling agreements.

Upon release, the 74-year-old Watson said, "I'm certainly quite relieved. This gives me an opportunity to return home to my two children before Christmas." The activist said he will be particularly careful to avoid stops in any countries that have extradition treaties with Japan on his way home to France, where he resides.

"I have to make sure that I don't land in Iceland or another country where Interpol might try to have me arrested again. Apparently, the 'red notice' is still there." Interpol uses the system to flag individuals with outstanding arrest warrants.

Arrest 'put focus on Japan's illegal whaling operations'

Asked what he thought was the end effect of his latest showdown with Tokyo, Watson said: "I think it all backfired on Japan, because this has put enormous focus on Japan's continued illegal whaling operations. So my time here for five months has actually served a purpose. It's been an opportunity to continue to expose Japan's illegal whaling activities."     

Defiant, Watson also vowed to continue his fight, saying: "we have a ship, being prepared, to oppose Icelandic whaling operations in June next year. And we have a ship in Australia that is ready to intervene against Japan if they return to the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. So we're prepared to take action when we need to."

Japan is one of only three countries to engage in for-profit whaling, Iceland and Norway being the other two. In 2019, Tokyo withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) — which oversees the management of whaling and the conservation of whales — to resume whaling in its own exclusive economic zone.

Tokyo defends its stance with the argument that whale meat is part of its food culture.

Watson calls that facetious, insisting: "Whaling only continues to exist in Japan through massive subsidies. In fact, $30 million (€29 million) from the tsunami relief fund was channeled into the whaling industry after 2011. So, you know, this does not benefit the Japanese people at all in any way, shape or form. In fact, what it is, is an embarrassment to the Japanese people."

The Japanese Embassy in Copenhagen did not comment on Watson's release.

js/jcg (AP, dpa)