Japan Urges Myanmar to Release Japanese Journalist Held in Yangon
Japan on Monday called on Myanmar to release a freelance Japanese journalist detained by security forces in Yangon. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said Tokyo was asking for the early release of the journalist, who was arrested at home on Sunday evening. Kato did not identify the journalist, […]
Japan on Monday called on Myanmar to release a freelance Japanese journalist detained by security forces in Yangon.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said Tokyo was asking for the early release of the journalist, who was arrested at home on Sunday evening.
Kato did not identify the journalist, but Japanese media identified him as Yuki Kitazumi, a former reporter for the Nikkei Business Daily, who now lives in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.
Kitazumi has been under investigation for allegedly disseminating fake news, Kyodo News reported, citing the Japanese embassy in Myanmar.
Kitazumi has been transferred to Insein prison in the city, where many political detainees are incarcerated, according to Kyodo.
In late February, the journalist was also briefly detained by security forces while covering an anti-coup rally, the report said.
On Saturday, the junta granted amnesty to more than 23,000 prisoners as Myanmar began marking its traditional New Year festival, state-run broadcaster MRTV reported, though it was unclear whether anti-coup protesters were among those set free.
