Paul Watson, president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, co-founder of
Greenpeace and one of the originators of direct action environmentalism, has
been arrested in the Netherlands by order of the Norwegian Government. Norway
has 20 days to request extradition.
THIS IS AN URGENT APPEAL TO ACTIVISTS. What happened: -
In 1992, Norway announced its intention to return to the commercial slaughter
of whales despite the International Whaling Commission's ban on whaling,
declared in 1986. Sea Shepherd announced that it would act to enforce the ban
on whaling as well as international treaties protecting endangered wildlife.
On October 4th, 1993, US President Clinton announced that he would not
enforce a mandated US embargo against Norway.
On May 31st, 1994, Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson and Lisa Distefano were
convicted in absentia by a Norwegian court on the charge of sinking an illegal
Norwegian whaing vessel dockside in 1992. No summons was issued to the
defendants. Watson and Distefano offered to appear if the Norwegian Government
would guarantee their safety or agree to a change of venue from the Lofoten
Islands district of Norway, a source of numerous death threats against them.
The request was ignored and the trial was held without the
defendants present. (Norway's current extradition warrant claims Watson and
Distefano personally sank the vessel, but the Lofoten District Court Record
notes, "the two accused were not in the country and could not take direct
part.").
In July 1994, off the northern coast of Norway, the Sea Shepherd whale
conservation vessel Whales Forever was rammed by the Norwegian coastguard,
fired on twice and four depth charges were detonated under the hull by
Norwegian commandos. Norway accused Watson of ramming their vessel. They failed
to serve papers on the charges and abandoned the case in October 1996.
Last year Norway's pro-whaling Prime Minister formally handed over the
reins of power to her successor, Tor Jageland. For the last several months the
High North Alliance, a Scandanavian wise-use group, has been steadily lobbying
the Norwegian Government to extradite and gaol Watson and Distefano. This is
an election year in Norway and the un-elected Prime Minister Jageland
desperately needs the support of the politically powerful northern coastal
districts - home of the whaling industry.
On March 31st, while supervising the transfer of a Sea Shepherd ship in
preperation for a campaign against illegal driftnetiing in the Mediterranean,
Paul Watson was arrested by harbour police in the German port of Bremerhaven
acting on Norway's Interpol warrant. German authorities chose not to extradite
him and he was released. Three days later, Paul was arrested again by Dutch
police in Amsterdam. At a preliminary hearing held on the 3rd of April, Judge
Toeter of the Haarlem District Court ordered Paul Watson to be held for 20 days
to allow Norway to make an extradition request.
DO NOT MISTAKE IT:- IF PAUL WATSON IS EXTRADITED TO NORWAY HE WILL DIE IN
PRISON. Norway is going after the only real threat to their plans for a vastly
increased whale slaughter. Their stockpile of Minke blubber is enormous, they
are trying to change CITES regulations so they can export it. They want the
pressure taken off. They want Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd gone forever. Paul
Watson has been getting direct death threats from Norwegians and Norway will
not guarantee his safety inside Norway.
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