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Former Japanese leader says Crimea secession vote was free and fair

Associated Press
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Russian State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin, left, shakes hands with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatayama prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 13, 2015. Yukio Hatayama visited Crimea on Tuesday March 10. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (The Associated Press)

Russian State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin, left, welcomes former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatayama prior their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 13, 2015. Yukio Hatayama visited Crimea on Tuesday March 10. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (The Associated Press)

A former Japanese prime minister whose visit to Crimea brought harsh criticism at home says he's convinced that the referendum leading to the peninsula's annexation by Russia was legitimate.

Yukio Hatoyama's trip to Crimea this week was criticized both by the Japanese government and his own former party as contrary to Japan's denunciation of the Russian annexation, which occurred a year ago after a hastily called referendum on secession.

The referendum was held as Russian forces and Moscow-backed locals took control of Ukrainian military facilities and government buildings.

Hatoyama, who led Japan for eight months in 2009-10, said in Moscow Friday that from his Crimean trip "I was able to make sure by myself that the expression of popular will was free, peaceful and according to democratic regulations and procedures."