Japan demands access to journalist detained in Russia as spy row persists

A senior Japanese official has visited Moscow, demanding consular access and calling for the immediate release of a Hokkaido Shimbun journalist detained on spying allegations, Tokyo said Wednesday.

Kimitake Nakamura, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s European Affairs Bureau, met Tuesday with Lyudmila Georgievna Vorobyova, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Third Asian Department, which oversees Japan, to discuss both the detention and various recent issues in bilateral relations, Japan’s top government spokesman said Wednesday.

“During the meeting, Japan conveyed its position that it calls for consular access to the Japanese national detained in Russia to be granted as soon as possible, as well as the individual’s immediate release,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said. 

Russia has detained the journalist, Yuki Imai, on suspicion of collecting defense-related information. A Moscow court ordered Imai to be held in custody until Dec. 12, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

In addition to a longstanding territorial dispute between the two countries over the Northern Territories — four islands off the northeast coast of Hokkaido claimed by both countries, currently being governed by Russia as part of the Sakhalin region — relations between Moscow and Tokyo this year have been particularly overshadowed by espionage-related tensions.

Earlier this month, a Russian national believed to be a member of the international hacking group Qilin was extradited from Japan to Germany for suspected involvement in a ransomware attack. And in July, a New York Times report shined a spotlight on how Russian spies have infiltrated Japanese institutions to support Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.  

Kihara admitted Wednesday that Japan-Russia relations “are in a difficult state.” 

“Precisely for that reason, it is necessary for the two countries’ diplomatic authorities to engage in exchanges on outstanding issues,” he said. 

Kihara refrained from commenting on the details of the discussion, including what was requested from the Russian side. It is believed that Moscow may be seeking concessions from Japan, perhaps through the removal of sanctions over its war in Ukraine. A new round of punitive measures was announced earlier this month targeting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.

A news release issued earlier Wednesday by the Foreign Ministry outlined Nakamura’s meeting in vague terms without mentioning Imai, stating only that he had “made a demarche and an argument, based on the position of the Government of Japan, regarding various current issues” between the two countries. 

“Both sides concurred to continue communication, including discussions on these issues, amid the severe situation in Japan-Russia relations,” the statement added.