Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released after five months in Greenland

Whaling and eating whale meat has been heavily criticized by conservation groups, but Japanese officials argue that it is part of the country’s culture and way of life.

Denmark’s Ministry of Justice confirmed that Japan would not comply with the extradition request, citing the “nature of the circumstances” and the fact that the incident happened 14 years ago.

His lawyer, Julie Stage, told the AFP news agency that he is now free.

Since Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, the decision on his extradition was made in Copenhagen. Although Japan and Denmark do not have an extradition treaty, the Tokyo government has asked Denmark to hand him over.

Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said it was “of central importance” to ensure that Mr Watson’s time in Greenland was deducted from any possible prison sentence he might later face in Japan.

He added that the ministry had concluded after correspondence with Japanese authorities that “it cannot be assumed with reasonable certainty that this will be the case”.