Japan's maritime security authorities have issued arrest warrants for the captains of two Japanese fishing vessels involved in a shooting incident with Russian border guards off the disputed South Kuril islands in January, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The incident took place on January 29, when the Japanese fishing vessels entered Russia's territorial waters off Kunashir Island and ignored warning shots from a Russian helicopter. As a result, the border guards had to open direct fire at the vessels.
The fishing boats returned to their port of Rausu with numerous bullet holes on their hulls. Japan issued an official protest against the border guards' actions, claiming they could have resulted in the loss of life and were completely inappropriate.
However, Russia's Foreign Ministry rejected Japan's complaints, calling them "ungrounded and unacceptable."
The news agency said the arrest warrants were issued after Japanese investigators discovered that GPS navigation systems were shut down on both vessels at the time of the incident and that bullet holes on vessels' hulls were painted over, which means the fishermen were trying to hide their location and the incident itself.
The captains were to be arrested on Wednesday on charges of breaking fishing laws.
Tokyo's continued claim over four South Kuril Islands (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai) has so far prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to end World War II hostilities.
The four southern islands of the chain to the northeast of Japan were annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II.
TOKYO, February 10 (RIA Novosti)
Digg
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Delicious
Facebook
