Don’t abandon Japan’s protest! Russia releases footage of Hokkaido reporter "cuffed and locked in an iron cage"

A male reporter of Japan's "Hokkaido Shimbun" stationed in Sakhalin, Russia, was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of espionage, triggering strong protests from the Japanese government. Russia also unilaterally released a video of the reporter being locked in an iron cage, triggering international condemnation. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticized the scene as chilling and demanded that Russia immediately release the reporter.

On the 13th, the Russian Federal Security Service arrested Yuki Imai, a reporter for the Hokkaido Shimbun, at a Sakhalin hotel on suspicion of espionage. This triggered strong protests from Japan, which demanded that Russia quickly provide detailed information, give the reporter humane treatment, and immediately request that Japanese consular personnel have opportunities to contact the reporter.

However, the Russian Federal Security Service unilaterally released the video of the journalist being detained and even locked in an iron cage without explaining it to the Japanese side. The male reporter was pinned to the ground and handcuffed in the hotel, and then the scene moved to the scene of him being escorted into the iron cage.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting press freedom and defending journalists' rights, issued a statement stating that "reports that foreign journalists are being controlled in Russia and may be prosecuted for espionage are extremely frightening."

Fiona O'Brien, CPJ's head of Europe and Central Asia, pointed out that the footage of the male journalist's detention released by Russia is "chillingly reminiscent" of the painful experience of a reporter from the American "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ) who was also detained and imprisoned in Russia on suspicion of espionage. She stressed: "Journalists should not be used as bargaining chips in geopolitical conflicts."

According to CPJ statistics, at least 30 journalists are currently detained in Russia for reasons related to news reporting.