Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson released on bail in Germany
The Canadian Press
Posted: May 21, 2012 5:24 PM NT
Last Updated: May 21, 2012 6:55 PM NT
Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been released on bail after his arrest in Germany on an international warrant.
(CBC)
The Canadian founder of an anti-whaling group who was arrested in Germany on an international warrant has been released on bail.
Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society left a Frankfurt jail on Monday after a court ordered him freed on bail pending a decision on whether he will be extradited to Costa Rica.
Watson is wanted for allegedly endangering a Costa Rican fishing boat while filming a documentary in 2002.
The Toronto-born activist said he was relieved to be free, a week after his detention at Frankfurt Airport.
"I didn't expect something that happened 10 years ago to sneak up on me in Germany," Watson told reporters.
Last Friday, a Frankfurt court ruled that Watson could be freed on $320,000 bail.
'I didn't expect something that happened 10 years ago to sneak up on me in Germany.'—Paul Watson
Sea Shepherd says the money was put up by a donor and Watson must remain in Germany while the extradition case against him is underway.
"While we have won a victory with the decision to allow Captain Paul Watson out on bail, the battle to save his life must now intensify," Sea Shepherd said in a statement posted on their website.
Watson also issued a statement from his cell last week saying his group has "made some powerful enemies" in its efforts to defend the lives of whales, sharks, seals and other sea life.
"Therefore the question must be asked why Germany is now taking into account accusations made by illegal poachers," he said.
Sea Shepherd continues to maintain that Watson's arrest was politically motivated and is calling on its supporters to come together in a day of action on May 23, when the Costa Rican president visits Germany.
"We're asking for people all over Germany to let the minister of justice know that captain Paul Watson must be released immediately," society spokesman Peter Hammarstedt says in a video posted on the group's website.
Share Tools
Latest Nfld. & Labrador News Headlines
- Bank robbery suspect appears in court
- A man who was arrested in connection with two bank robberies in the St. John's area made his first court appearance on Saturday. more »
- Closed business in Corner Brook an eyesore, says board of trade
- The old Studio Bar on Broadway in Corner Brook has been boarded up for several years, and the board of trade says the building is an eyesore for the entire area. more »
- Lawyer to keep fighting for Mount Cashel victims
- St. John's lawyer Bob Buckingham says that a $16.5-million settlement reached for victims of abuse by the Christian Brothers on Thursday is just one more step in the process of getting justice for the victims. more »
- Cochrane: Where Ottawa should look for Senate scandal remedies
- The political crime spree that was Newfoundland and Labrador's spending scandal offers important lessons for Parliament, writes David Cochrane. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Will Rob Ford's supporters leave Ford Nation?
- The growing controversy over a purported video alleging to show Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine may be testing the faith of even his most die-hard supporters. But experts say Ford's policies may trump whatever personal issues he's facing, and that his supporters may rally behind him. more »
- Hockey Canada votes to ban bodychecking in peewee hockey
- Hockey Canada's board of directors voted to eliminate bodychecking from peewee-level hockey on Saturday in Charlottetown. more »
- Neil Macdonald: How serious is Obama about curbing the drone surge?
- In a key speech this week, the U.S. president set out a host of supposed new safeguards for America's controversial practice of remote-controlled rough justice. But as Neil Macdonald writes, the underlying rationale for drone use has not fundamentally changed. more »
- Repairing the damage in this week's Generation Why
- How does one get through the days and weeks following a natural disaster, a senseless tragedy, or even a crash-landing back on Earth? In this week's issue of Generation Why, several contributors recommend stories about repairing the damage, and trying to move forward. more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denies using crack cocaine
- The mayor of Canada's largest city told a packed news conference that he doesn't use crack cocaine and isn't a crack addict — and new allegations surfaced Saturday involving Ford's brothers. more »
- Diamonds in the dump
- Canada Post campaigns against 'no flyers' mailbox signs
- Police investigate unusual crash in Mount Pearl
- Arrests made in Torbay bank robbery
- Closed business in Corner Brook an eyesore, says board of trade
- Crew safe after vessel sinks off St. John's
- Alleged crime spree robber elects judge and jury
- Lawyer to keep fighting for Mount Cashel victims
- N.L's two oral surgeons give resignation notices
