Japan urges Russia to immediately release detained journalist held on Sakhalin
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pressed Moscow on Tuesday for the immediate release of a Japanese journalist detained on Sakhalin on espionage suspicions, calling the denial of consular access 'regrettable'.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged Russia on Tuesday to immediately release a Japanese national detained on the island of Sakhalin, and called it “regrettable” that consular access to him has not yet been allowed.
Russia’s security agency said on Oct. 13 that a Japanese journalist had been taken into custody on Sakhalin in the Russian Far East on suspicion of espionage, according to the Kyodo News digest published Wednesday.
Motegi told reporters that a bilateral treaty provides for the right to consular access within four days of a person being taken into custody, and said Japan was pressing Moscow to honour that obligation. His remarks on Tuesday came a full week after the Oct. 13 announcement — well beyond the four-day consular-access window the treaty guarantees. They were reported by Kyodo News on Wednesday (Oct 21).
CGTN reported separately on Wednesday that Japan’s foreign ministry was demanding the journalist’s immediate release, citing media reports.
More on this topic: all World stories
