Supporters of arrested Sea Shepherd founder say parallels with Julian Assange are ‘disturbing’

Allies of the 73-year-old anti-whaling activist Paul Watson have said that prison time would amount to a ‘life sentence’

The arrest of the anti-whaling activist Paul Watson in Greenland – where he could face extradition to Japan – has been condemned as “politically motivated” by supporters, who compared the case to the detention of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.

“The parallels are disturbing,” said Omar Todd, chief executive and co-founder of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF).