Russia arrests Japanese journalist on allegations of spying
FSB security agency said reporter was arrested on island of Sakhalin, alleging he was collecting information about Russia’s defences Russia has arrested a Japanese journalist on the far east island of Sakhalin and accused him of espionage, Moscow said on Tuesday. Russia regards Japan as an “unfriendly” country because it has joined western sanctions over its war in Ukraine. Russia has arrested…
Russia has arrested a Japanese journalist on Sakhalin Island, accusing him of espionage, according to the FSB security agency. The journalist, Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was reportedly collecting information about Russia's defences. The FSB published a video showing masked officers conducting the arrest at a hotel room.
The man was flown to Moscow, where a court ordered his pre-trial detention. Charges carry up to 20 years in prison. Moscow and Tokyo have a territorial dispute over several islands in the Pacific Ocean. The FSB stated that this was not an isolated case and that Tokyo's use of correspondents in Russia to gather information aimed at undermining Russia's security is regrettable.
Russia regards Japan as an "unfriendly" country due to its involvement in sanctions over the Ukrainian conflict. Japan's embassy in Moscow stated that they were trying to ascertain the journalist's reported detention.
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