Kyodo News reporter briefly detained by Russia

January 28, 2020

Moscow--Kyodo News said Monday that a reporter of the Japanese news agency who contacted a Russian official in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok as part of reporting activities was briefly detained by Russian security authorities on Dec. 25 last year.

The journalist was questioned about the purpose of the reporting activities, according to Kyodo News.

The reporter was released about five hours after the detention. The reporter was urged to leave Russia within 72 hours and exited the country on Dec. 26, the news agency said.

"We believe that the reporter was engaged in ordinary reporting activities," an official at the news agency's editing office said.

Earlier on Monday, Russian media reported that a Japanese reporter who was attempting to obtain Russian military secrets was briefly detained in Russia on Dec. 25.

A Russian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as claiming that the Japanese journalist tried to get confidential materials related to Russia's military capabilities in the Far East region. The ministry reportedly summoned an official of Japan's embassy in Moscow and handed a letter of protest.

The ministry official's reported claim came after Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested on Saturday a former Softbank Corp. <9434> employee on suspicion of illegally obtaining trade secrets of the major Japanese mobile phone carrier after being instigated by staff officials at the office of Russia's trade representative in Japan.

The MPD has requested, through organizations including the Japanese Foreign Ministry, two Russian men who are believed to have abetted the arrested former employee to show up for questioning. Jiji Press