Tokyo Refuses to Provide Information on Russian Who Allegedly Sailed to Japan, Moscow Says

TOKYO (Sputnik) – The Japanese authorities have refused to provide official information on an unnamed man who allegedly identified himself as a Russian citizen and said that he had sailed from Kunashir Island to Hokkaido in northern Japan to seek asylum, the Russian Consulate General in Sapporo said.

“Despite all the new details about this incident that appear in the Japanese media, citing police sources, the Japanese authorities refuse to provide us with official information. The police claim that they do not know anything because the foreigner was transferred to the Japanese Immigration Office in Sapporo”, the consulate wrote on Facebook.

It added that “the Japan Coast Guard also cites a complete lack of data”.

The diplomatic mission in Sapporo stressed that Moscow intends to “obtain proper information from the Japanese authorities and meet with the Russian citizen if his affiliation with the Russian Federation is confirmed”.

On 21 August, the Kyodo news agency reported that a Russian citizen had sailed from Kunashir Island to Hokkaido. He was handed over to staffers of the Sapporo migration bureau, which was to decide either to issue a temporary residence permit or deport him back to Russia. Kunashir Island is 20 kilometres (12 miles) away from Hokkaido.

Sourse: sputniknews.com