Celebrity conservationist Paul Watson filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Costa Rica before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging politically-motivated criminal charges.
The well-known conservationist was on land barely a week in the United States when Costa Rica filed a formal request to have him sent back to Central America to face charges from a 2002 incident.
In a Thursday post on his Facebook, conservationist and founder of Sea Shepherd Paul Watson said an Interpol red alert issued by Costa Rica, which prompted his arrest in Germany in May 2012, has been dropped. A spokeswoman for Costa Rica's judicial system, which is handling Watson's case, denied Watson's statement, saying, "Everything remains the same."
Costa Rican officials are sticking to their initial storyline that the murder of Tico turtle conservationist Jairo Mora was carried out by a band of thieves and turtle poachers. Paul Watson thinks officials are lying. On Wednesday, Rainforest Radio's Jani Schulz will find out why.
Costa Rican officials announced Tuesday that Paul Watson may voluntarily return to Costa Rica to face charges of attempted shipwrecking and endangerment at sea.
The arrest in Germany last weekend of marine conservationist Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepperd organization, has outraged environmentalists around the world. Watson faces charges of attempted shipwrecking stemming from a 2002 incident off the Guatemalan coast.
