Yuki Imai, a Japanese journalist who works for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, is in detention in Russia after being arrested on suspicion of espionage on October 13, 2026, on the far-eastern island of Sakhalin.
“Today, Hokkaido Shimbun journalist Yuki Imai, accredited at the Foreign Ministry of Russia, has been detained by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in the Sakhalin Region for conducting intelligence activities in our territory,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, said on October 13.
Japanese authorities did not confirm the arrested journalist’s identity, but CPJ’s independent research identified him as Imai and his employer as Hokkaido Shimbun.
Russia’s FSB security agency said a criminal case had been initiated under Article 276 of Russia’s criminal code (espionage), a charge which can carry up to 20 years in prison, according to Russian news agency TASS. The FSB said Imai had been transferred to Moscow.
Interfax news agency quoted the FSB as saying the detainee "collected and stored information related to the country's defense capability, with the aim of transmitting it on behalf of national intelligence for use against the security of the Russian Federation."
Video footage carried by several media showed FSB operatives storming a hotel room and handcuffing a man, escorting him onto a plane, and putting him into a cage in what appeared to be a courtroom. It was not clear from the video when the Moscow court hearing took place. The BBC said, citing Interfax, that Imai would be remanded in custody until 12 December, before his trial begins.
The arrest came as tensions worsened between Russia and Japan after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands, claimed by both countries, in August.
The Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper was quoted by Reuters, on October 14, 2026, as saying it was verifying reports that a male journalist from its staff had been detained, adding that his safety was its top priority.
On October 14, 2026, Japan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and requested information about the detained Japanese national, urging Russian authorities to treat him in a humane, fair, and impartial manner.