Japan Seeks Extradition of Anti-whaling Activist Apprehended in Denmark

Japan is seeking the extradition of a U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling activist, who has been held in custody in Greenland since July 21, Danish and Japanese authorities said on Thursday.

Denmark has previously said Japan was seeking Paul Watson - founder of the Sea Shepherd activist group and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation - on charges of breaking into a Japanese vessel in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010, obstructing the boat's business and causing injury as well as property damage.

Watson was apprehended by the Arctic island's police when his ship docked at the port of Nuuk last month.

Tokyo on Wednesday formally asked Denmark to extradite Watson, the Japanese embassy in Copenhagen said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Watson's French lawyer Francois Zimeray said Japan's justice system could not be trusted to give the activist a fair trial, and that Denmark should deny the request for extradition.

Japan's embassy said it would continue to respond appropriately to questions regarding the requested extradition.

The Sankei daily, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, reported on Thursday that Denmark had unofficially conveyed its intention to accept the extradition.

Greenland is an autonomous province of Denmark. Any decision to extradite Watson must be made by the Danish justice ministry, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reuters - Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Stine Jacobsen and Kantaro Komiya, editing by Terje Solsvik, Bernadette Baum and Deepa Babington)