Japanese journalist Yuki Imai was arrested on charges of espionage on Oct. 13, according to Russian court records.
Russia’s Security Service (FSB) said that a Japanese citizen working for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper was arrested in the country’s far east near islands disputed by Russia and Japan before being taken to Moscow.
The outlet has a dedicated team covering Japan-Russia relations, territorial disputes between the two countries, and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
FSB footage circulated by Russian state media appears to show the journalist pinned to the ground as Imai is handcuffed before being forced to power on his laptop in front of officers.
Russia’s FSB claims the suspect collected data on the number of mobilized soldiers and volunteers in Russia’s war against Ukraine for Japanese intelligence among residents living on the disputed islands controlled by Moscow.
Russia regularly brings politically motivated charges against opposition figures, journalists, and foreign citizens.
Russia has banned independent media outlets and is currently detaining dozens of journalists and media workers, according to Reporters Without Borders.
On Oct. 4, Moscow police detained about 60 people at an authorized Communist Party rally after demonstrators began chanting anti-Kremlin slogans, according to the party and Russian rights group OVD-Info.
AloJapan.com