Iran has arrested the bureau chief of Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK World, and transferred him to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, two sources told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.
It is unclear when Shinnosuke Kawashima was arrested or the charges against him, although sources said he was taken to Evin Prison on February 23.
Kawashima is being held in Ward 7 of Evin Prison, where political prisoners are usually incarcerated, one of the sources said.
NHK did not immediately respond to Radio Farda’s request for comment. Iranian officials have not announced the arrest of Kawashima, who previously served as NHK’s bureau chief in Jakarta.
NHK is Japan’s public broadcaster, providing news and information about Japan and Asia on television, radio, and online platforms to a global audience.
Kawashima’s arrest came weeks after the authorities killed thousands of people in an unprecedented crackdown on mass protests calling for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers.
As part of the crackdown, tens of thousands of people have been arrested across the country in recent weeks, including journalists and human rights defenders.
