Earlier today in Germany, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) and star of Animal Planet’s reality TV show Whale Wars posted bond and walked out of the detention center he was held in since his arrest at the Frankfurt International Airport on Sunday, May 13^th, 2012.

After depositing 250,000 euros (about $312,000), Mr. Watson will now have more time and freedom to concentrate on fighting extradition to Costa Rica. Part of his strategy will be to gather with his supporters and wait for the arrival of President Laura Chinchilla in Germany. The President of Costa Rica is currently visiting Europe, and is expected to meet with German leaders on Wednesday, May 23^rd. The SSCS has called on supporters to join Mr. Watson as he personally appears at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, where President Chinchilla will be received by President Joachim Gauck.

Prosecutors here and in Germany are coordinating the judicial process that would make Mr. Watson appear in court and answer to charges dating back to 2002. The charges are related to an incident in which Mr. Watson was in command of the Sea Shepherd vessel Farley Mowat and allegedly caused reckless endangerment of a vessel at sea with intent to cause a shipwreck.

Mr. Watson allegedly steered the Farley Mowat and caused it to ram a fishing vessel allegedly involved in illegal shark finning operations. The incident did not occur in Costa Rica’s sovereign waters, but the Tico crew members claimed that Mr. Watson used a water cannon and pyrotechnic flares against them while they were adrift and performing mechanical repairs. Two out of the eight crew members claim they were injured.

In press releases and messages from prison, Mr. Watson and the SSCS have stated that an extradition to Costa Rica would be the equivalent of a death sentence.

Sources: Sea Shepherd (Twitter) and Associated Press.