According to Russian security services, he gathered data on "Russia's military readiness" and on mobilised troops and volunteers for the war in Ukraine.
uncertain
he → accord → Ukraine
Authorities in Russia's Sakhalin region have detained Yuki Imai, a correspondent for the Japanese newspaper "Hokkaido Shimbun", on charges of engaging in intelligence activities.
asserted
Authorities → detain → activities
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia reported the arrest on Tuesday.
asserted
Service → report → Tuesday
"As a result of operational search measures, it was established that he collected and stored information related to the country's defence capability, with the aim of passing it on, on the instructions of the national intelligence service, for use against the security of the Russian Federation," the agency said in a statement.
asserted
agency → establish → statement
The FSB's public relations centre released video footage of the journalist's detention.
asserted
centre → release → detention
The images show masked security officers bursting into a hotel room, handcuffing a man lying face down on the floor.
asserted
officers → show → floor
They then spell out the grounds for his detention, conduct a search, escort the suspect out of the building and accompany him to the aircraft ramp.
asserted
They → spell → ramp
In the video, one of the officers claims that the journalist allegedly gathered data on the recruitment of mobilised soldiers and contract servicemen from among Kuril Islands residents for the war in Ukraine.
uncertain
journalist → claim → Ukraine
It is known that Yuki Imai has already been transported to Moscow.
asserted
Imai → know → Moscow
The Lefortovo court has authorised his arrest, a measure that will remain in force "for at least two months".
asserted
that → authorise → months
For this period he will be held in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre.
asserted
he → hold → centre
Russia's foreign ministry announced (source in Russian) that a criminal case has been opened against the "Hokkaido Shimbun" employee under article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers espionage.
asserted
which → announce → espionage
The trial is scheduled to begin on 12 December.
asserted
trial → schedule → December
Under this article, the Japanese journalist faces between 10 and 20 years in prison.
asserted
journalist → face → prison
As Russian media report (source in Russian), Yuki Imai is 34 years old.
asserted
Imai → report → Russian
He holds accreditation from Russia's foreign ministry and has been travelling to the country since at least 2014.
asserted
He → hold → 2014
This summer he was in Primorsky Krai, taking part in an expedition to former camps where Japanese prisoners of war were held during the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945.
asserted
prisoners → take → 1945
In September he was preparing a piece for "Hokkaido Shimbun" on the unveiling in Khabarovsk of a monument to "victory in the Great Patriotic War over militarist Japan".
asserted
he → prepare → Japan
In October his latest article, on the presence of North Koreans in the region, was published.
asserted
article → publish → region
"Hokkaido Shimbun" is considered a major outlet in Japan.
asserted
Shimbun → consider → Japan
The newspaper covers events on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, as well as relations between Russia, Japan and North Korea.
asserted
newspaper → cover → Russia
This is the first arrest of an employee of a foreign media organisation since 2024, when, as part of a large-scale prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, American journalist for The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich was freed.
asserted
Gershkovich → free → Journal
He had previously been sentenced to 16 years in prison on similar espionage charges.
asserted
He → sentence → charges
Back in 2019, Russian security services detained in Vladivostok a Japanese reporter from the Kyodo News agency, who was also accused of intelligence-gathering.
asserted
who → detain → gathering
On that occasion, the journalist was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
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journalist → order → hours
Tokyo demands clarification
asserted
Tokyo → demand → clarification
The Japanese government has asked Moscow to explain the circumstances and reasons for the detention of Yuki Imai.
asserted
government → ask → Imai
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the Japanese side had been unable to contact him and was unaware of the arrest until it was officially announced.
asserted
it → say → arrest
"The Japanese embassy in Moscow and the Consulate General in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk have called on the Russian authorities to provide information immediately and to guarantee humane, fair and impartial treatment," foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
asserted
Motegi → call → treatment
Japan's foreign ministry plans to summon Russia's ambassador, Nikolai Nozdriev, to lodge a protest and demand the journalist's release, local media report, citing diplomatic sources.
asserted
media → plan → sources
An arrest amid worsening relations
Russia and Japan have been locked for decades in a dispute over the sovereignty of the Kuril Islands.
asserted
Russia → worsen → Islands
Because of this, the two countries have never signed a peace treaty formally ending the Second World War.
asserted
countries → sign → War
After condemning Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Japan joined Western sanctions against Moscow in 2022.
asserted
Japan → condemn → 2022
In August this year Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time, part of which Japan claims as its own territory.
uncertain
Japan → visit → territory
Tokyo responded by expressing a "strong protest".
asserted
Tokyo → respond → protest
A week ago, Russia's Prosecutor General's Office requested that the Netherlands extradite the president of the International Criminal Court, Japanese national Tomoko Akane, a move the Japanese government described as "unacceptable" and "unfair".
asserted
government → request → Court
The Aporia
