Japan denies German activist entry ahead of G8
(Adds comments by German Foreign Ministry spokesman)
TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Japan's immigration authorities denied a German anti-globalisation activist entry at a port near the venue for the July Group of Eight summit, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.
Quoting his supporters, Kyodo said Martin Kraemer, 37, was denied entry to Japan after arriving on Monday aboard a freighter from Russia at a port on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
He has filed an objection with immigration authorities and has remained on the freighter awaiting a response, the report said.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin later said Kraemer had declined to be sent to a third country.
"He will probably set off on his return trip from Japan to Russia on a ship today," the spokesman said. "We have to respect that it's up to each country to allow entry or not, according its rules."
Kraemer had planned to attend an anti-summit rally in the city of Sapporo on the island on Saturday, his supporters were quoted as saying.
Japanese immigration officials declined to comment on the report.
"The bureau appears to have tightened immigration checks on Kraemer because the purpose of his travel was tourism and he was carrying only a small amount of money and no return ticket," Kyodo quoted his supporters as saying.
Japanese authorities have tightened security in and around the venue for the G8 summit scheduled for July 7-9. (Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Jerry Norton)
TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Japan's immigration authorities denied a German anti-globalisation activist entry at a port near the venue for the July Group of Eight summit, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.
Quoting his supporters, Kyodo said Martin Kraemer, 37, was denied entry to Japan after arriving on Monday aboard a freighter from Russia at a port on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
He has filed an objection with immigration authorities and has remained on the freighter awaiting a response, the report said.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin later said Kraemer had declined to be sent to a third country.
"He will probably set off on his return trip from Japan to Russia on a ship today," the spokesman said. "We have to respect that it's up to each country to allow entry or not, according its rules."
Kraemer had planned to attend an anti-summit rally in the city of Sapporo on the island on Saturday, his supporters were quoted as saying.
Japanese immigration officials declined to comment on the report.
"The bureau appears to have tightened immigration checks on Kraemer because the purpose of his travel was tourism and he was carrying only a small amount of money and no return ticket," Kyodo quoted his supporters as saying.
Japanese authorities have tightened security in and around the venue for the G8 summit scheduled for July 7-9. (Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Jerry Norton)
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