• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Europe
  4. Russia expels 8 Japanese embassy employees
Europe

Russia expels 8 Japanese embassy employees

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 Apr 2022 21:57

In response to Japan voicing support for Ukraine's neo-Nazis and taking hostile actions against Russia, Moscow expels more diplomats from the country.

  • Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, Russia
    Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, Russia

Moscow is expelling eight employees of the Japanese embassy the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, stressing that they must leave Russian territories by May 10.

Moscow had summoned on April 27 a representative of the Japanese embassy in Russia, and the authorities told him that since the start of the war in Ukraine, Tokyo had taken an openly hostile anti-Russian course, destroying mutually beneficial cooperation.

"The apotheosis of this line was the expulsion of eight Russian diplomats from Japan. Guided by the principle of reciprocity, the Russian side demanded that eight Japanese diplomatic workers leave our country by May 10," the ministry said in a statement.

Moscow also cast the blame in full for the diplomatic developments on the Japanese authorities, as they had made a choice pivoting away from friendly constructive relations with Russia.

Japan had openly taken the position of fully supporting neo-Nazi formations operating on Ukrainian soil, and provided political, economic, and military assistance to the country's authorities, the ministry added.

The Japanese Embassy in Moscow said Tokyo had not agreed with Russia's statements in connection with the expulsion of Japanese diplomats, with the country's ambassador protesting at a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Tokyo's Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSAI) removed earlier this month the neo-Nazi designation of the far-right nationalist Ukrainian Azov battalion from Japan's 2021 handbook on international terrorism.

"Recently, there have been cases of misinformation published as though the PSIA recognized the Azov battalion as a neo-Nazi organization. We regret the occurrence of this situation," the Japanese agency said, apologizing for the designation of a neo-Nazi organization as neo-Nazi.

"[This] does not mean that the agency has recognized the Azov battalion as a neo-Nazi organization," it stressed despite the battalion's logo itself bearing Nazi insignia.

Azov is said to have been behind many war crimes in Ukraine, from killing civilians and trying to shift the blame onto Moscow, to killing prisoners of war of the Russian armed forces.

The National Guard of Ukraine's Twitter account had released a video boasting about Azov fighters greasing their bullets with lard to be used against Muslim Chechens on the Russian side. 

The cancellation of the terrorist designation came after intelligence suggested that Azov militants had been planning terrorist attacks in Lvov against Western diplomats to force NATO's arm into imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Nationalists also faced accusations from Moscow of holding hostages in a maternity hospital in Mariupol, which would not be the first crime committed by the notorious far-right neo-Nazi group, as they opened fire on civilians during their evacuation from the city, killing at least two people and injuring four others.

Tokyo did not only openly voice support for Kiev's neo-Nazis, but it also joined the Western bid to sanction Russia and imposed harsh sanctions against the country, not to mention voting in favor of removing the federation from the United Nations Human Rights Council.

  • United States
  • Japan
  • Azov Battalion
  • Russia
  • United Nations
  • UNHRC
  • Human Rights Council
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Trending Now

All
Report reveals human rights violations against civilians, Russia soldiers

Human rights violations against civilians, Russian soldiers: Report

Most Read

Indonesian president Joko Widodo during an interview in Jakarta in 2016 (Reuters)

Widodo urges Indonesia to abandon Visa, MasterCard to be 'independent'

  • Asia
  • 16 Mar
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listens to opening remarks before testifying before the Senate Finance Committee about the President's proposed budget request for the fiscal year 2024, Thursday, March 16, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

US Debt ceiling ‘must be raised’ ahead of default: Treasury Secretary

  • US & Canada
  • 16 Mar
Rallies held in Washington DC to protest US militarism

Peace rallies held in Washington DC to protest US militarism

  • US & Canada
  • 18 Mar
Poland

Poland may end up 'joining' Ukraine war: Polish Ambassador to France

  • Europe
  • 20 Mar

Read this

All
US dollar may lose status as global reserve currency: Yellen
US & Canada

US dollar may lose status as global reserve currency: Yellen

  • 22 Mar
US military reports recruitment problem from Generation Z
US & Canada

US military reports recruitment problem from Gen Z

  • 22 Mar
.
US & Canada

Peace protesters hold up Senate hearing as Blinken delivers testimony

  • Today
US -Israeli relations in crisis: Axios
Politics

US-Israeli relations in crisis: Axios

  • 22 Mar
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS