Japanese Citizen Sentenced for Espionage in Belarus

A Belarusian court sentenced Japanese citizen Nakanishi Masatoshi to seven years in prison for espionage. He was accused of surveilling border areas and military installations. Belarusian security forces detained him in September last year. It remains unclear how he pleaded in court.

A Belarusian court has sentenced Nakanishi Masatoshi, a Japanese citizen, to a seven-year imprisonment on charges of espionage, as reported by Russia's state RIA news agency on Monday. The Belarusian Prosecutor General's office provided this information amid heightened security concerns.

In September of the previous year, Belarusian security forces detained Masatoshi, alleging that he was a Japanese intelligence agent engaged in surveillance activities focused on border areas and military sites—a claim that stirred diplomatic discussions between Japan and Belarus.

Despite the severity of the charges, the defendant's plea remains undisclosed, leaving many questions unanswered about the intricacies of this international legal case.

(With inputs from agencies.)