Japan sees red as Interpol drops arrest request for whale activist Paul Watson

Last Updated on July 24, 2025 4:12 pm

By Julian Ryall

Interpol’s decision to drop a decade-old red notice against Paul Watson, the outspoken founder of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, has sparked outrage in Japan, with critics accusing the international police agency of bowing to Western bias and undermining justice for alleged attacks on Japanese whalers.

Interpol announced on Tuesday that it had removed the red notice – a non-binding request for the arrest and extradition of a wanted individual – after a review by its independent Commission for the Control of Files, which found the request raised concerns about political motivations and potential rights violations.

Watson, 74, had been wanted since 2012 after Japan requested the red notice over clashes in Antarctic waters two years earlier, when his group hurled rancid butter at whaling vessels and allegedly interfered with harpoon operations.

Source :SCMP