Japanese reporter who investigated war participation numbers faces ‘espionage’ charges... Russia orders two-month detention

【Financial News, Tokyo—Correspondent Seo Hye-jin】A Hokkaido Shimbun correspondent arrested on Sakhalin, in Russia’s Far East, for investigating residents’ participation in the war in Ukraine will be detained for about two months. Russian authorities claimed he had collected military information for Japanese intelligence agencies, but disclosed no specific evidence. The Japanese Embassy in Russia said it had been unable to meet with the reporter as of the night of the 13th (local time).
According to NHK, the Yomiuri Shimbun and other outlets on the 14th, a Moscow court ruled the previous day that a Japanese male reporter with Hokkaido Shimbun’s Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk bureau would be detained until December 12. The correspondent, who was registered with Russia’s Foreign Ministry, was arrested on Sakhalin the day before his departure and transferred to Moscow. The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) opened a case against him under Article 276 of the Criminal Code, which covers espionage. If convicted, he could face 10 to 20 years in prison.
The Japanese Embassy in Russia told the Sankei Shimbun that it was “gathering information” and said it had been unable to meet with him by the night of the 13th. It told NHK, “We are rushing to verify the facts.” Hokkaido Shimbun also said, “We are checking the details, including the facts.”
The FSB alleged that the reporter tried to collect “classified information,” including the number of residents of the Kuril Islands who had been mobilized or volunteered to fight in the war in Ukraine, and provide it to Japanese intelligence agencies. The Kuril Islands is the Russian term for the island chain that includes the four islands Japan calls the “Northern Territories” and the Chishima Islands. However, the FSB did not provide specific evidence that Japanese intelligence agencies had directed him to do so, or explain why the information he collected constituted military secrets.
The released arrest video shows investigators bursting into a dark room that appears to be in a hotel. When the reporter asked, “Espionage? What does that mean?”, an investigator replied, “Espionage for Japanese intelligence agencies.” The reporter was then handcuffed with his hands behind his back.
The video also showed investigators making him open a laptop and work, the bureau’s office being searched, the reporter boarding an aircraft, and his transfer to a Moscow courthouse. Documents in a suitcase were blurred except for a Russian phrase meaning “For official use only.” A receipt marked “20,000” also appeared, but the currency, purpose of the payment and any connection to the allegations were not explained.
The Russian Foreign Ministry took aim at the Japanese government. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Japan of using the correspondent to gather information that would harm Russia’s security, and called on Japan to end its hostile actions toward Russia and change its stance. She also said, “This is not the only such case.” She did not provide specific examples.
The case has drawn attention because it could lead to long-term detention, unlike the brief detention of a Japanese reporter in the past. In December 2019, a Kyodo News reporter arrested in Vladivostok on suspicion of trying to obtain military secrets was released about five hours later. Kyodo News said at the time, “We believe it was routine reporting activity.” The reporter was warned to leave within 72 hours and left Russia the following day.
There have also been cases in which foreign reporters received lengthy prison sentences. Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) who was arrested in March 2023, denied the espionage charges, saying he had been engaged in reporting. Russian authorities, however, claimed he had collected top-secret information about a defense contractor on orders from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison the following year. The trial was held behind closed doors, and not enough information was made public to substantiate the charges.
Relations between Russia and Japan deteriorated after Japan joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
In September 2022, an employee of the Japanese consulate in Vladivostok was briefly detained and then expelled. Japan had sought to maintain exchanges, including by resuming short-term university student exchanges in August this year, but the incident has increased the strain. 
[email protected] Seo Hye-jin Reporter