Japan has summoned Russia’s ambassador in Tokyo after a Japanese diplomat was blindfolded and bodily restrained throughout an interrogation in Vladivostok.
Japan’s international minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stated Tatsunori Motoki, a consul based mostly within the japanese Russian metropolis, had been subjected to a “coercive interrogation” throughout his detention by Russia’s FSB safety service.
The FSB stated it was holding him on allegations of espionage, considered one of which was linked to the impact of Ukraine warfare sanctions on Russia.
The Kremlin has beforehand labelled Japan a “hostile nation” – a designation it shares with the US, Britain and EU international locations – after Tokyo joined them in imposing sanctions on Moscow over the warfare in Ukraine.
Hayashi stated on Tuesday that Motoki had not engaged in any criminality and described his detention, which lasted a number of hours, as “completely unacceptable”.
In response, Japan’s international ministry summoned the Russian ambassador, Mikhail Galuzin, over the incident, in accordance with the Kyodo information company.
The ministry demanded that Moscow make a proper apology, Hayashi stated, including the federal government would think about acceptable retaliatory measures.
Motoki was detained and accused of spying after he allegedly obtained categorised data in alternate for a fee, the FSB alleged.
The diplomat, it added, had been declared persona non grata and ordered to go away Russia inside 48 hours. Media studies stated he was anticipated again in Japan by Wednesday.
“A Japanese diplomat was detained red-handed whereas receiving categorised data, in alternate for cash, about Russia’s cooperation with one other nation within the Asia-Pacific area,” the FSB claimed in an announcement carried by Russian information businesses on Monday.
The FSB additionally claimed he had been soliciting details about the impression on the japanese Primorsky area of sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japan’s embassy in Moscow lodged a protest with the Russian international ministry, describing Motoki’s detention and interrogation as violations of the Vienna Conference on Consular Relations.
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