News NHK bureau chief arrested in Tehran

[thomas]

Japan on Wednesday called for the swift release of a Japanese national detained in Iran for more than a month, while withholding details of the case. The individual was taken into custody on 20 January, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki told reporters. He said the government has remained in contact with both the family and Iranian authorities, but declined to identify the detainee or describe the circumstances.

Radio Free Europe earlier reported that Shinnosuke Kawashima, Tehran bureau chief for Japan's public broadcaster NHK, had been arrested and transferred to a prison in Tehran. NHK said it could not confirm whether one of its employees had been detained. The broadcaster said staff safety remains its top priority and that it could provide no further comment. The NHK World website lists Kawashima as an international affairs correspondent who previously served as bureau chief in Jakarta from 2017. A LinkedIn profile under his name states he joined NHK in 2005.

Japan demands swift release of national detained in Iran

The Japanese government demanded the swift release of one of its citizens detained in Iran for over a month on Wednesday, without providing further details of the case.

www.reuters.com

Japan demands release of citizen detained in Tehran

A Japanese citizen was arrested and detained in Tehran, leading to formal demands from Japan for their immediate release, said Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki on Wednesday. While the Japa...

www.jurist.org

 

[dracuella]

Iran is not a country I would dare visit. Nor would I want to be stuck in prison there, guilty or not. I remember following the blog of the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was detained while she was on holiday in Iran and subsequently spent 6 years in prison. Everyone thinks it was a political manoeuvre to resolve an outstanding debt between Iran and the UK - which, if that is true, means that no one is safe from unlawful incarceration.

It's a pity because I remember my old English teacher telling us about his year-long travels in the Middle East, always with Iran as his home away from home. The way he described it always made me want to go.

 

[thomas]

Iran is a country I would like to revisit to see the places of my childhood (we spent two years there), but not under the current blood-stained regime. I can relate to your old English teacher.

 

[Lothor]

Iran is not a country I would dare visit. Nor would I want to be stuck in prison there, guilty or not. I remember following the blog of the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was detained while she was on holiday in Iran and subsequently spent 6 years in prison. Everyone thinks it was a political manoeuvre to resolve an outstanding debt between Iran and the UK - which, if that is true, means that no one is safe from unlawful incarceration.

It's a pity because I remember my old English teacher telling us about his year-long travels in the Middle East, always with Iran as his home away from home. The way he described it always made me want to go.

It's sad what Iran has become. I used to teach quite a lot of Iranian students, and nearly all of them were smart, witty and hardworking. I hope Mansoor is OK.

 

[Ukigumo]

There is a British couple who, against Home Office advise, decided to go on a motorcycle tour of Iran. They were arrested on spying charges and have received a ten year prison sentence.

There's indifference toward their plight here in the UK since they made the choice, against all advise, and will have been well aware of media reports about the dangers of entering Iran. They've given Iran a means of leveraging negotiations in their favour and they will cost the UK a lot of money to free them because of their choices. I do hope they get out soon.

 

[Ukigumo]

It seems Iran has greater issues to worry about! Very, very bad

 

[thomas]

I really hope @Mansoor is alright!

 

[johnnyG]

Trump was bored of peace.

 

[Ukigumo]

Trump was bored of peace.

It's a distraction from the 'he who must not be mentioned' files. Plus a war is well known to boost the flagging ratings of leaders; Thatcher --> Falklands for example.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

You keep poking the bear , you are bound to get bit. Hopefully all the targets will be military ones with as few civilian deaths as possible. An Israeli report says Khomeini has been killed , but I imagine it will take some time to prove that.

 

[Ukigumo]

Civilians are seldom killed by the Israeli government forces.

 

[johnnyG]

Khomeini has been killed

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

 

[thomas]

Apparently, a second Japanese national was arrested in Iran on 28 February, just before the military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The ministry said the detainee is safe and in good health but gave no other details such as the timing of the detention or whether it is related to the detention of a Japanese journalist reported last month. Japanese officials had confirmed the first person's detention though they refused to give the detainee's identity.

Japan says a second Japanese person is detained in Iran and demands their early release

Japan's Foreign Ministry says a second Japanese national has been detained in Iran and demanded the early release of both people.

apnews.com

 

[Lothor]

Apparently, a second Japanese national was arrested in Iran on 28 February, just before the military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel.

Japan says a second Japanese person is detained in Iran and demands their early release

Japan's Foreign Ministry says a second Japanese national has been detained in Iran and demanded the early release of both people.

apnews.com

Takaichi is unlikely to help with negotiations by condemning Iran for attacks on civilians but not condemning the US and Israel.

She had an opportunity to call for restraint on all sides (not that it would have done anything, but at least it would have shown a bit of states(wo)manship). Instead, she sided with the aggressors.