MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russian MP Oleg Mikheyev of A Just Russia Party social democratic party has asked prosecutors to check the activity of TripAdvisor over its map depicting Crimea as part of Ukraine, not Russia.
The MP said this could serve as a ground to recognize the US travel website company as "undesirable" in Russia. An organization deemed "undesirable" may have its activity limited or banned in the country, and its assets can be frozen.
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The official request sent to Russia’s Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika says the call to raise the issue on the inadmissible use of inaccurate topographic data comes from TURPROM tourist online newspaper.
"Despite that the Republic of Crimea rejoined Russia two years ago, this organization depicts Crimea as one of Ukraine’s subjects, not Russia’s," the request obtained by TASS said.
"I believe that participation of the profit organization in political activity, more over with the position that runs counter to Russia’s interests, is misbehavior of the organization in Russia’s territory," the document read.
Authorities of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol held a referendum on Crimean reunification with Russia in March 2014, with residents of the Black Sea peninsula voting overwhelmingly in support.
That same month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement on Crimean accession to Russia, ratified three days later by Russia’s parliament. Despite the referendum's convincing results, Kiev refuses to recognise Crimea as part of Russia.