The Ministry of Justice declared the union of Japan undesirable for the return of territories

The Ministry of Justice of Russia entered the “Union for the Return of the Northern Territories”, registered in Japan, into the register of undesirable organizations. The list also included the “Crimean Tatar Resource Center”, registered in Ukraine, and the “IndustriALL Global Union”, registered in Switzerland.

The northern territories in Japan are called the islands of the southern part of the Kuril ridge – Iturup, Shikotan, Kunashir and Habomai, which were occupied by the USSR at the end of the Second World War.

After the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Japan introduced sanctions against the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the country’s top officials and their relatives, banks and enterprises, and also left Russia with the status of the Most Favored Nation in trade. At the same time, Tokyo announced that it would provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Later, Russia added Japan to the list of “unfriendly countries” and declared that it was withdrawing from the dialogue with Japan on the establishment of joint economic activities in the South Kuril Islands and blocking the continuation of Japan’s status as a partner of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization in the sectoral dialogue. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kasida then called Russia’s actions “unreasonable and absolutely unacceptable.”

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Japan called the Kuril Islands “illegally occupied” territories for the first time since 2003.

In September, Russia also terminated the agreement with Japan on facilitated visits to the Kuril Islands by Japanese citizens who previously lived on these islands.

As a result of the Second World War, the USSR annexed the southern Kuril Islands – Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Khabomai – to its territory. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a peace declaration, according to which Shikotan and Habomai were to be handed over to Japan after the conclusion of a peace treaty. But the Japanese authorities in the following years insisted only on the return of all the islands. The peace treaty has not yet been signed. After the aggravation of relations due to the war in Ukraine, Russia announced its refusal to continue negotiations on a peace treaty.

After the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Russia banned Japanese sailors from fishing in the Southern Kurils. Such a right was given to them by the Russian-Japanese agreement of 1998, which the Russian side suspended for non-payment of payments due under the agreement.

• The Law on Undesirable Organizations has been in effect in Russia since 2015. The work of structures that the authorities enter into the relevant register is prohibited in the country. Participation in the activities of an undesirable organization is punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 rubles, and in the case of a repeated episode – up to four years of imprisonment. At the same time, the wording of what exactly can be considered participation is vague in the law.