Japanese ‘trainspotters’ detained in Belarus on espionage charges spark diplomatic tensions
One expert believes the arrests highlight Belarus’s paranoia near its border with Ukraine
Two Japanese nationals who have been detained in Belarus on suspicion of espionage are more likely to have been “overenthusiastic trainspotters” rather than foreign spies, one analyst suggested, reflecting a culture of paranoia near the country’s heavily militarised border with Ukraine.
The Japanese embassy in Minsk confirmed the latest incident on Tuesday, saying a Japanese citizen had been detained in the Eastern European country on espionage charges. It follows a similar arrest of another Japanese citizen in July.
Local media reported that the man in the latest incident was arrested on December 1 while filming a bridge over a railway line in Gomel Oblast, the administrative region on Belarus’ southern border with Ukraine.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and their sensitive border regions have large military presences.
The man was not named and was handed over to the Committee for State Security. The Japanese embassy said it was not informed of his detention until Monday.
At a regular press conference in Tokyo on Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, that they will “take appropriate steps” to protect Japanese citizens.
