Iran arrests NHK bureau chief Shinnosuke Kawashima, reportedly transferring him to Evin Prison
TOKYO: Iran has arrested the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK and sent him to a prison known for holding political inmates, according to media reports.
US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda named the journalist as Shinnosuke Kawashima, reporting on Tuesday that he was transferred to Evin Prison a day earlier.
Kawashima was being held in Ward 7 of the jail, where political prisoners are usually incarcerated, a source told the radio.
Iran International, a Persian-language TV channel based outside of Iran, did not name the journalist but also said that he was moved to Evin.
The exact date of the journalist’s arrest and the charges against him remain unclear, Iran International reported on its website.
NHK did not confirm the reports.
“We at NHK always act with the safety of our staff as our top priority. At this time, we are unable to comment further,” an NHK spokesman told AFP on Wednesday.
Japanese government spokesman Masanao Ozaki told reporters that a Japanese citizen had been detained on January 20 but declined to give more details.
“The Japanese government has confirmed that one Japanese national was detained by the local authorities in Tehran, Iran, on January 20,” deputy chief cabinet secretary Ozaki said.
“Since this detention case came to light, the government has been strongly urging the Iranian side to secure the early release of the individual concerned,” Ozaki said.
“We are also in contact with the person and their family and other related parties, and are providing whatever assistance is necessary,” he added.
Japan and Iran have historically have had relatively friendly relations, with former premier Shinzo Abe visiting the Islamic republic in 2019. Then-president Hassan Rouhani made a return visit to Japan the same year.
But more recently, close US ally Japan has drastically reduced its once-substantial imports of Iranian oil as part of international pressure over Tehran’s nuclear activities.
A wave of protests in Iran began in December, sparked by economic woes in a country squeezed by sanctions over its nuclear programme.
This grew into nationwide demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9, posing one of the largest challenges to Iran’s leaders in years and which was met by a violent government crackdown.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while warning the full toll is likely far higher.
Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by “terrorist acts” fuelled by the United States and Israel.
University students kicked off a new semester with gatherings over the weekend, during which they revived slogans from the nationwide protests.
On Tuesday, the fourth consecutive day of the campus protests, videos verified by AFP showed two groups facing off in a large hall at a Tehran university — one waving Iranian flags and the other chanting anti-government slogans — before scuffles broke out.
The Sun Malaysia
