反捕鯨の容疑者、仏国籍を申請　「日本引き渡し回避」狙う―報道

　【パリ時事】反捕鯨団体シー・シェパード（ＳＳ）創設者で、デンマーク領グリーンランドで拘束されているポール・ワトソン容疑者（７３）が、フランス国籍の取得を申請した。仏メディアが２４日、弁護士の話として伝えた。日本が求める身柄引き渡しを「回避するため」（リベラシオン紙）という。
　報道によると、ワトソン容疑者は米国とカナダの二重国籍。今月、マクロン仏大統領に書簡で政治亡命を求めたが、国外からの申請には「応じるのが困難」（バロ外相）と指摘され、狙いを国籍の取得に切り替えたようだ。
　ワトソン容疑者を巡っては、２０１０年に日本の調査捕鯨を妨害したとして、海上保安庁が傷害や威力業務妨害の疑いで逮捕状を取り、国際手配した。今年７月、活動船の給油に立ち寄ったグリーンランドで拘束された。（2024/10/25-05:03）

Paul Watson, founder of antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd, detained in Greenland, has applied to obtain French nationality to avoid extradition demanded by Japan, French media outlets Thursday quoted his attorney as saying.
   Watson, who has U.S. and Canadian nationalities, had requested political asylum in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron this month, according to media reports.
   But Watson has apparently switched to acquiring French nationality, as French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that approving asylum sought from outside the country would be difficult.
   Over the antiwhaling activist, the Japan Coast Guard obtained an arrest warrant on suspicion of causing injury and forcibly obstructing business by blocking Japanese research whaling in 2010 and placed him on an international wanted list.
   Watson, 73, was captured in Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark, where his ship stopped by for refueling in July this year.