Russia has arrested a Japanese reporter on espionage charges, accusing him of gathering intelligence related to Moscow’s defense capabilities, BBC reports.
The journalist, identified as Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was detained in the far-eastern Sakhalin region, a day before he was due to leave Russia. He was flown to Moscow where a court ordered he be placed in pre-trial detention, BBC writes, citing Russian news media.
Russian authorities allege that Imai “acted on the instructions of [Japan’s] national intelligence service” to gather information about people involved in a special military operation on the Kuril Islands, state news agency TASS reported.
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Imai will be remanded until 12 December, before his trial begins, according to Interfax, another Russian news agency.
Those convicted of espionage in Russia can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
“Tokyo’s attempts to use its correspondents in Russia, who hold foreign journalist status, to gather information aimed at undermining our country’s security are regrettable,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on 13 October.
Japan has not commented at length on the arrest. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press briefing that Japan did not know about the arrest until the announcement and had had no contact yet with the journalist.
Imai’s published work has covered Russia’s relations with North Korea and life in Sakhalin.
Hokkaido Shimbun ran a report on the arrest without naming the reporter.
“We are still confirming the details. Ensuring the reporter’s safety is our top priority,” it said in response to the BBC’s queries.
As per BBC, the arrest comes as tensions worsen between the two nations after Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands, claimed by both countries, in August.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sharply criticised Putin’s visit – his first-ever to the islands – saying it “wounded the feelings of the Japanese people” and is “incompatible with Japan’s consistent position on the Northern Territories”.
Moscow dismissed her remarks as “politically inappropriate” and “legally unfounded”.
Japan imposed sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last week, Moscow again angered Tokyo by requesting the extradition of Tomoko Akane, the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who is Japanese and has been placed on Russia’s wanted list since 2023 along with other ICC officials.