Japan PM rejects Russian espionage charges against journalist detained on Sakhalin

Takaichi made the comments while speaking with the media on Oct. 15, The Japan Times reported.

“There is no such fact. ... Each country’s domestic laws are different, so we do not yet know the details of what they call an allegation,” the PM said in response to questions about whether Imai had been acting on behalf of Japanese intelligence.

She emphasized that there was little information available about Imai’s detention.

The newspaper also reported that Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara had previously said authorities were unable to contact Imai and learned of his arrest only through official statements from Russian authorities.

On Oct. 13, Russia’s FSB said it had detained a correspondent for a Japanese newspaper on Sakhalin. The journalist was accused of espionage on behalf of Japanese intelligence. According to the FSB, the journalist collected and stored information related to Russia’s defense capabilities for transfer to Japanese intelligence services. A court in Moscow’s Lefortovo district ordered him jailed.