日本驻莫斯科大使馆官员周一会见了在俄罗斯因间谍罪被拘留的《北海道新闻》记者，并确认他身体状况良好，日本政府表示。
Japanese embassy officials in Moscow met Monday with a Hokkaido Shimbun journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges and confirmed that he was in good health, the government said.
“日本政府打算竭尽全力保护该记者，”外相茂木敏充周二表示。“这包括强烈敦促俄罗斯政府确保立即释放他、给予人道主义关照，并保证其受到公正、无偏见的对待。” 俄罗斯当局认定该记者为今井优树（Yuki Imai，音译），他在被俄罗斯联邦安全局（FSB）拘留并转移至莫斯科之前，一直驻扎在《北海道新闻》位于南萨哈林斯克的分社，目前将被羁押至12月12日。
“The Japanese government intends to do its utmost to protect the journalist,” Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday. “This includes strongly urging the Russian government to ensure his immediate release, provide humanitarian consideration, and guarantee his fair and impartial treatment,” The journalist, identified by Russian authorities as Yuki Imai, had been based at the Hokkaido Shimbun’s bureau in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk before being detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and transferred to Moscow, where he is to remain in custody until Dec. 12.
俄罗斯当局指控今井在即将离境前收集国防相关情报。日本强烈否认这些指控。
Russian authorities accused Imai of collecting defense-related information shortly before he was due to leave the country. Japan has strongly denied the allegations.
此次拘留发生在俄日关系紧张加剧之际。8月，俄罗斯总统普京首次访问抚远岛（Etorofu），引发东京抗议。抚远岛是北海道附近由俄罗斯控制的四个岛屿之一，日本将其主张为北方领土。
The detention comes amid growing tensions between Russia and Japan. In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Etorofu for the first time, prompting protests from Tokyo. Etorofu is one of four Russian-controlled islands off Hokkaido that Japan claims as the Northern Territories.
日本寻求收回抚远岛、国后岛、色丹岛和齿舞群岛，这些岛屿在二战结束时被苏联占领，至今仍处于俄罗斯控制之下。俄罗斯称该问题已解决。
Japan seeks the return of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands, which were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and remain under Russian control. Russia says the issue is settled.
本月初，日本将一名俄罗斯公民引渡至德国，因其涉嫌参与勒索软件攻击，紧张局势进一步升级。该人被认为是国际黑客组织“Qilin”的成员。
Tensions further escalated earlier this month when Japan extradited a Russian national to Germany over suspected involvement in a ransomware attack. The individual is believed to be a member of the international hacking group Qilin.
在周一会见今井后，日本政府表示将继续敦促俄罗斯政府立即释放他，并给予公正、人道的待遇。
Following Monday’s meeting with Imai, the Japanese government said it would continue to urge the Russian government to immediately release him, and to treat him fairly and humanely.
日本新闻出版商与编辑协会、日本外国记者俱乐部、保护记者委员会和无国界记者组织等国内外新闻机构和监督团体也发表声明，对今井表示关切，并抗议俄罗斯的行为。
Domestic and international journalism organizations and watchdog groups, including the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have also issued statements of concern for Imai and protest over Russia’s actions.
美国驻日本大使乔治·格拉斯在X上发文谴责俄罗斯拘留今井，称这“完全是对独立新闻进行恐吓和压制的公然企图”。无国界记者组织指出，自2022年2月俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来，几乎所有独立媒体都被禁止、封锁和/或被宣布为“外国代理人”或“不受欢迎的组织”，所有人都处于军事审查之下。
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass condemned Russia’s detention of Imai in a post on X, calling it “nothing short of a gross attempt to intimidate and muzzle independent journalism.”RSF notes that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, almost all independent media have been banned, blocked and/or declared “foreign agents” or “undesirable organisations” and that everyone is under military censorship.