Shinnosuke Kawashima, Tehran bureau chief of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, has been arrested and transferred to Evin Prison, according to Iranian local media reports. The reason behind Kawashima’s arrest remains unknown as Iranian officials have not yet commented on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has confirmed the incident and demanded the immediate release of its national. “A Japanese national has been detained in Iran and must be swiftly released,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki was quoted as saying by The Asahi Shimbun.
Ozaki further stated that the NHK Tehran Bureau chief was arrested on January 20 but didn’t provide any further information.
The NHK has also reportedly refused to confirm the arrest. “As NHK, we always act with the safety of our staff as the top priority. There is nothing we can answer at this stage,” an NHK spokesperson said.