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Belarus has released Japanese citizen Nakanishi Masatoshi, CGTN America reported.
On March 17, 2025, the Minsk City Court sentenced Nakanishi Masatoshi to seven years in a high-security penal colony and a fine of 500 base units (21,000 Belarusian rubles). He was found guilty under the article on intelligence activities (Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code). The trial was held behind closed doors.
According to the prosecution, Nakanishi Masatoshi carried out intelligence activities from 2018 to 2024, cooperating with a special service, security body, and intelligence agency of a foreign state.
Masatoshi had previously taught Japanese at Francysk Skaryna Homel State University. He was detained in July 2024, though this became public only on September 4.
State television claimed that he had allegedly collected information on the socio-political situation in Belarus, the implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the situation on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, and filmed military infrastructure. Belarus’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was not refusing contacts with Tokyo regarding the case of the detained Japanese citizen.
Reform.news analyzed the report about the Japanese “spy” aired on Belarusian state television and found that the KGB and state TV had manipulated the facts.