Anti-whaling activist Paul Waton has requested political asylum from France
Paul Watson, the anti-whaling activist and founder of Sea Shepherd, has requested political asylum from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Lamya Essemlali, head of Sea Shepherd France, revealed at a press conference in Paris that Watson sent a letter to Macron several days ago requesting asylum.
Watson arrest
The 73-year-old US-Canadian activist was arrested in July in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
Outcry in France as Greenland keeps anti-whaling crusader Paul Watson in jail
From prison, Watson "wrote a letter to Emmanuel Macron," Essemlali confirmed, stating that he is seeking asylum in France.
Watson was detained while his ship, the John Paul DeJoria, was refueling en route to confront a Japanese whaling vessel in the North Pacific, according to the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF).
His arrest is linked to a 2012 Japanese warrant accusing him of damaging a whaling ship in 2010 and injuring a crew member with a stink bomb during an anti-whaling protest.
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