Spy Allegations: Russia Arrests Japanese Journalist
The Federal Security Service of Russia announced on the 13th that one of its officers apprehended a Japanese journalist in the Russian Far East, allegedly involved in gathering defense-related intelligence on Russia.
The foreign correspondent, who works for *Hokkaido Shimbun*, was detained in Sakhalin Oblast prior to his planned departure from Russia. The individual has since been transferred from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow and may face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
According to available information, the arrested journalist has resided in Russia since 2014, during which time he studied Russian language and culture while writing articles about life in the Russian Far East.
Recently, the journalist published pieces on the Russian State Duma elections and the monument erected in Khabarovsk to commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Japan in World War II.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, commented on the arrest, stating that “Tokyo’s attempts to exploit its journalists for intelligence gathering to undermine Russia’s security are regrettable,” and urged the Japanese government to “reflect on its approach and abandon hostile actions toward Russia.”
This marks the first instance of Russia detaining a foreign journalist since the arrest and release of *Wall Street Journal* reporter Evan Gershkovich. The incident occurs amid deteriorating relations between Moscow and Tokyo.
In August, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Southern Kuril Islands (known as the Northern Territories in Japan), while the Russian leadership condemned Tokyo for joining Western-led sanctions. In its latest military white paper, Russia designated Moscow as the primary threat.
At the end of 2019, a Japanese journalist was previously detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage; the case concluded with his expulsion from the country.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878976978389056/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.