Overview

• The refusal was issued on September 9 and became public through press reports on September 23–24.
• Ofpra concluded he provided no serious evidence that he could not assert his rights under regular extradition procedures.
• Interpol lifted a decade-old red notice in July 2025, yet Japan still maintains an international arrest warrant for him.
• Watson says Emmanuel Macron personally assured his safety in France, and his lawyer is urging the president to grant asylum directly.
• He was detained for 149 days in Greenland before Denmark rejected Japan’s extradition request in late 2024.