A Japanese citizen who has been held in Iranian custody since the beginning of this year has been granted bail and released, Tokyo government officials announced Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed during a press briefing that the individual’s release was verified on Monday, while emphasizing that Japanese officials continue to push Iranian authorities for complete freedom for the detainee.
Kihara reported that Japan’s ambassador to Iran, Tamaki Tsukada, conducted a meeting with the released person and verified their good health condition, though he declined to share additional information.
Sources indicate the detained individual works as a journalist for NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting network. This case follows another incident where a different Japanese citizen, who had been held in Iran starting last June, gained freedom and returned home in March.
The bail announcement followed diplomatic discussions between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who spoke by telephone on Monday about Iran’s ongoing conflicts with both the United States and Israel.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement issued after their conversation, Motegi pressed again for the detainee’s complete release, while Araghchi indicated he would give serious consideration to Japan’s appeal.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has identified the person taken into custody in January as an NHK broadcast journalist. According to the CPJ, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officials made the arrest on January 20, and the journalist was later moved to Evin Prison on February 23, based on information from unnamed sources who cited safety concerns.
