Paul Watson, the leader of the environmental activist organization, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has been arrested and released on bond in Germany for alleged criminal activity in Costa Rican waters nearly ten years ago.  Interestingly enough, there appears to have been no Red Notice issued against Mr. Watson based on his Costa Rican activity.  There is, however, a Blue Notice based on his activity in Japan.

After Mr. Watson’s arrest in Germany, INTERPOL issued a public statement regarding its involvment (or lack thereof) in Mr. Watson’s arrest in its News and Media Releases page, here.  INTERPOL specified that it “would not issue” a Red Notice in Mr. Watson’s name because the request did not comply with INTERPOL’s constitution and rules.  The arrest and extradition process, therefore, will be strictly between Costa Rica and Germany.

We last addressed Mr. Watson in a post in May of last year, here, while discussing Blue Notices.  At that time, he seemed nonplussed, even pleased, to have been the subject of a Blue Notice.  Recall that a Blue Notice allows for the tracking of an individual’s movement and activity.  

Last year, Mr. Watson recognized the fact that a level of publicity followed a publicized Blue Notice.  Since his arrest, he and his cause have received the support of several celebrities and organizations that he may not have anticipated prior to his arrest.  John Paul Dejoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell, Brigitte Bardot, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have all made public pleas for his release and support.

In the next post, a discussion about why a Red Notice would have been improper in Mr. Watson’s name.

As always, thoughts and comments are welcomed.