Is the detention of Japanese journalists a reflection of tensions between Japan and Russia? There are fears that it will be prolonged - Russia

The arrest of a male reporter from the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk bureau of the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper occurred amid rising tensions between Japan and Russia amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is unusual for a Japanese journalist to be charged with espionage in Russia, and there is a risk that his detention will be prolonged.

Japanese government shocked by detention of Japanese journalist in Russia, rushing to gather information

According to Japanese media, a Kyodo News reporter was temporarily detained in Vladivostok in the Far East in December 2019, before the invasion. He was accused of "attempting to obtain confidential materials related to military capabilities," but he was released after being questioned and no charges were filed against him.

Japan-Russia relations deteriorated sharply after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Putin administration has designated Japan as an "unfriendly country" as it imposes sanctions on its own country. Viewing Japan as an enemy as it strengthens its support for Ukraine, the country has taken an even tougher stance, with President Putin himself making his first visit to Etorofu Island in the Northern Territories in August of this year. The number of people criticizing Japan in line with China has increased, and some say that they have given up on consideration for Japan.

Although it is not clear what the purpose of the arrest was, it is clear that he was trying to prevent Japan from doing so. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that the reporter was collecting information on mobilized soldiers and volunteers under the direction of Japanese "intelligence agencies." A video showing the entire process of multiple investigators breaking into a hotel room, pinning down a reporter and handcuffing him appears to be a demonstration for Japan.

Regarding the journalist espionage scandal, in March 2023, American reporter Evan Gershkovitch of the Wall Street Journal was arrested for visiting Sverdlovsk Oblast, a central region where a tank factory is located, for reporting. Russian authorities claim that he collected confidential information about the factory at the direction of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although he denied the charges, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison at trial.

Gershkovitch was released in August 2024 in an exchange of custody between Russia and Western countries. He was detained for more than a year, and was ultimately used as a diplomatic card by the Putin regime.