Russian authorities have arrested Japanese journalist Yuki Imai of the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on suspicion of espionage, according to Russian news agencies.
Imai was detained in Russia’s far-eastern Sakhalin region a day before he was due to leave the country. The Interfax news agency reported that a Moscow court has ordered him held in pre-trial detention until 12 December.
The state agency TASS reported that Russian authorities allege he gathered information on Russia’s defence capabilities on the instructions of Japan’s national intelligence service. Espionage carries a sentence of up to 20 years in Russia.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press briefing that Tokyo is seeking details and has had no contact with Imai. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called attempts to use Japanese correspondents to gather information “regrettable”.
The case comes as relations between the two countries remain strained over the Kuril Islands, which both claim.
