The Japanese embassy in Belarus announced on Tuesday that a Japanese national has been detained by Belarussian authorities. It said Belarus’s foreign ministry informed it of the situation on Monday.
The embassy said it cannot disclose more information about the person, including their name or gender. It added that staff will continue to do what they can to protect Japanese nationals.
Local media reported earlier this month that a Japanese man had been detained on suspicion of spying. They said he was filming a bridge over railway tracks in the Gomel Region, which borders Ukraine, and that a train conductor reported him to local authorities.
Embassy officials have been working to confirm the information.
Another Japanese man — a former language teacher in his 50s — was detained in July. He has been accused of collecting information on military facilities, and he remains in custody.