France refuses to grant asylum to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson. September 24, 2025
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
By AFP - Agence France Presse
France refuses to grant asylum to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson
EUROPE
According to a French asylum agency document seen on Tuesday, NGO Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson has been refused political asylum in France. The dual US/Canadian citizen has an outstanding arrest warrant from Japan relating to damage caused to a Japanese whaling ship in 2010.
France has refused to grant political asylum to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who is under an arrest warrant from Japan, rejecting his plea that he faced arrest in his native Canada or in the United States.
Ofpra, the French agency that handles asylum cases, said his fears were “unfounded”, as both the United States and Canada are “democracies governed by the rule of law," according to a document seen by AFP on Tuesday.
Watson, 74, who holds both US and Canadian citizenship, is the founder of Sea Shepherd.
Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson.
He was detained in Greenland for five months last year before Denmark rejected an extradition request from Japan, which accused him of joint responsibility for damage and injuries aboard a Japanese whaling ship in 2010, as part of a campaign led by the NGO Sea Shepherd.
He arrived in France at the end of 2024 and applied for asylum in February.
Watson said he is “disappointed” by Ofpra’s decision, but added that he hopes to acquire French citizenship.
In its decision, Ofpra said Watson “provided no serious evidence to suggest that he would not be able to assert his rights under regular extradition procedures” should he be arrested in Canada or the United States.
“France is not honouring itself by refusing political asylum to Paul Watson,” his lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, said.
“Japan maintains its international arrest warrant, so he is still in danger, wherever he may travel.”
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