Russia on April 21 added the Japanese NGO Union of Residents of Chishima and Habomai Islands to its registry of undesirable organizations, saying the group's activities compromise Russia’s territorial integrity. The NGO mostly consists of former residents of the disputed Kurile Islands, which were seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II from Japan. The dispute has kept Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty formally ending the war. The NGO in question was involved in organizing seminars and trips for Japanese citizens to the islands to visit old Japanese cemeteries. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Russia Adds Japanese NGO To Its List Of Undesirable Organizations
The NGO mostly consists of former residents of the disputed Kurile Islands, which were seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II from Japan.