Russia Tahan Konsul Jepang Atas Terbantu Mata-mata, Tokyo Membantah Dan Mainmohonan Penaftar

Illustration. (Unsplash/Roméo A)

JAKARTA - Russia's security agency FSB said on Monday it had detained a Japanese consular in the city of Vladivostok, on suspicion of espionage, ordering him to leave the country.

However, the consul is said to have been released after several hours of detention by Russian agents.

Tokyo has filed a "hard protest" about the detention and hinted it would retaliate, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Tuesday.

FSB said Motoki Consul Tatsunori was declared non-grata persona, after he was caught receiving classified information about the effects of Western sanctions on the economic situation in Russia's far east.

It said classified information, which also concerns Russia's cooperation with unnamed Asian-Pacific countries, had been obtained in exchange for a "money prize".

Moscow has protested to Tokyo over consular actions through diplomatic channels, he said.

Meanwhile, Japanese government spokesman Matsuno said Moscow detained the consular by "managing", turning his eyes and holding him back, which was a "clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations".

"The detained consultant was not involved in any illegal activity," Matsuno stressed, adding that Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister told Russia's ambassador to Japan that Tokyo "needs to take appropriate steps" and demanded an official apology from Moscow.

It is known that the released consular has no problem with health conditions and will depart from Russia on Wednesday, Matsuno said.