The Russian prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that it has declared a Japanese NGO “undesirable,” effectively banning it for advocating the return of the Southern Kuril Islands to Tokyo.
The organisation, based in Tokyo, claims to be independent and non-governmental but is primarily funded by the Japanese government’s budget, according to the prosecutor’s office via Telegram.
The NGO reportedly funds research and participates in developing new strategies to bring the Kuril Islands back under Japanese sovereignty.
The concerned organisation, the "Association for Northern Territories Issues," states on its website that it aims to promote the resolution of disputes between Moscow and Tokyo.
For Russia, these "Northern Territories" (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the southernmost Habomai Islands) are known as the Southern Kurils.
These territories were annexed by the USSR in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. This territorial dispute has since prevented the signing of a peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Japan has escalated its stance and once again condemned the annexation of these territories, having previously avoided the term "occupation" since 2003.
In response to Tokyo’s sanctions, Moscow has broken off negotiations with Japan regarding the Kuril Islands.
