Latest news with #Watson
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Japan vows to pursue anti-whaling activist Paul Watson despite Interpol decision
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Interpol has lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson. TOKYO - Japan reacted angrily on July 23 after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid. Interpol had issued the notice against Mr Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan. But 'Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me', Mr Watson said in a statement on July 22, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers' 'vendetta'. Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Tokyo called the decision 'extremely regrettable', with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan. 'The removal doesn't change the fact that Japan's arrest warrant for him is valid,' Mr Hayashi told a regular news briefing. 'Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition,' he said. Mr Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On Dec 20, Mr Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. AFP
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson
PARIS: Global police organisation Interpol has lifted a red wanted notice requesting the arrest of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, with the campaigner saying Tuesday he was finally free of the Japanese whalers' "vendetta." "Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me," Watson said in a statement, adding the charges against him were "politically motivated." Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan, but has now decided the measure was "disproportionate", his lawyer William Julie said in a separate statement. "The Japanese whalers have been after me for 14 years ever since I was first detained in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2012," Watson said in the statement published by his ocean conservation charity, The Captain Paul Watson Foundation. "It has been an incredible pursuit by a very powerful nation using unlimited resources but finally I am free of their vendetta and their relentless persecution," said Watson, who is also the founder of the Sea Shepherd direct action group. A spokesperson for Interpol confirmed to AFP that the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) had deleted the red notice, which is a request to police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On December 20, he returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. "The decision to delete Mr Watson's red notice was made by the CCF – an independent body tasked to ensure that the processing of personal data by Interpol is in compliance with its constitution and rules," the Interpol spokesperson said. "This is not a judgement on the merits of the case, or the events that occurred in 2010, but a decision based on Interpol's rules on the processing of data," the spokesperson added. "The CCF decision was made in light of new facts, including the refusal by the Kingdom of Denmark to extradite Mr Watson. This is in line with normal procedures." In a statement, Julie said the CCF considered that the red notice "did not meet Interpol's standards, citing the disproportionate nature of the charges, Mr Watson's supposed only indirect involvement (which is contested), the considerable passage of time since the alleged facts, Denmark's refusal to extradite him, and the fact that several other countries declined to act on Japan's arrest or extradition requests." He also said that the Commission pointed to the existence of "political elements" around the case, which gave it an "importance beyond its intrinsic criminal characteristics or pure law-enforcement interest." Sea Shepherd France praised the decision as "a moral and symbolic victory" but warned that it did not yet restore Watson's freedom of movement. "The Japanese arrest warrant remains active, and any country can still choose to execute it," the group said on X.
10 hours ago
Antiwhaling Activist Watson Removed from Interpol Wanted List
News from Japan World Jul 23, 2025 12:46 (JST) Paris, July 22 (Jiji Press)--The International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, has decided to remove Paul Watson, founder of antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd, from its Red Notice wanted list, it was learned Tuesday. Interpol based its decision on new developments including Denmark's refusal to extradite Watson, 74, to Japan. It has notified all member countries of the decision. Watson was placed on the international wanted list after the Japan Coast Guard obtained an arrest warrant for him for allegedly interfering with Japan's research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010. In July last year, he was detained in the Danish territory of Greenland, but local authorities freed him in December. After his release, Interpol's Commission for the Control of Files, which oversees the organization's handling of personal information, suspended Watson from the wanted list at his request. This was followed by the decision to remove him from the list. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Browns place Deshaun Watson on PUP among list of roster moves
The Cleveland Browns are ready to start training camp, but quarterback Deshaun Watson is not. Ahead of the start of camp, the Browns have officially made a handful of roster moves. The headliner of these moves was the placement of Watson on the Physically Unable to Perform list. This means that by the time cutdowns happen, the Browns will likely expect Watson to miss at least the first four games of the season after re-tearing his ACL this offseason. And in all honesty, four games is an incredibly quick expectation as we may never see Watson in a Browns uniform again. Watson was not the only player placed on Physically Unable to Perform, however. Second-year defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. was also placed on the list as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. Wide receiver David Bell was placed on the non-football injury list as he continues to recover from a hip injury that ended his 2024 season. Finally, the Browns released former Ohio State wide receiver and Cleveland native Jaelen Gill with a non-football injury designation. This also means the Browns have a roster spot to continue to play around with as well. We'll see how this plays out as training camp begins.
Toronto Sun
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Browns place Watson on PUP list with QB expected to miss NFL season
Published Jul 22, 2025 • 1 minute read FILE - Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson responds to questions during a news conference after the team's NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo by Sue Ogrocki / AP BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson was placed on the physically unable to perform list by the Cleveland Browns as veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Watson could potentially miss the entire 2025 season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in January. That occurred just three months after he initially injured it against Cincinnati. Watson is 9-10 since being acquired by Cleveland in 2023 with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 80.7 passer rating. Owner Jimmy Haslam acknowledged during the league meetings in March the Browns 'took a big swing and miss' with the trade. Watson has been rehabbing at the team complex and was in meetings during the offseason program with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Read More Cleveland acquired Pickett in a trade from Philadelphia in March and signed Flacco in April. It drafted Gabriel in the third round and then moved up in the fifth round to take Sanders. The four-way quarterback competition resumes with Wednesday's first practice of training camp. The Browns also placed defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. on the PUP list and wide receiver David Bell on the non-football injury list. Hall suffered a knee-injury in last season's final game at Baltimore. Cleveland also waived wide receiver Jaelen Gill. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Canada Columnists Olympics Celebrity Entertainment
