In China a Japanese male indicted - detained on suspicion of spying

Recently NHK news on-line reported the following:

中国で日本人男性起訴 スパイ行為などとみられる疑いで拘束

2023年8月30日 22時52分

中国の上海でおととし、当局にスパイ行為などとみられる疑いで拘束され、その後逮捕された日本人男性が8月、起訴されたことがわかりました。

起訴されたのは、おととし12月、中国の上海で拘束され、当時、スパイ行為などの疑いが持たれたとみられていた50代の日本人男性です。

男性は去年6月に逮捕され、上海にある日本総領事館が8月中旬に起訴されたことを確認したということです。

当局による手続きが進められたことになりますが、日本政府関係者によりますと、中国側は今回、起訴された具体的な内容について明らかにしていないということです。

中国では2014年に「反スパイ法」が施行されて以降、日本人がスパイ行為に関わったなどとして当局に拘束されるケースが相次いでいて、日本政府関係者によりますと、これまでに少なくとも17人が拘束されているということです。

このうち、9人が中国の裁判で実刑判決となり服役しましたが、裁判は非公開で、中国側はどのような行為が法律に違反したのか明らかにしていません。

Translation

It was understood that a Japanese male who was detained by the authorities on suspicion of spying and  subsequently arrested in Shanghai of China two years ago was indicted in August.

In Shanghai of China in December two years ago, a Japanese male in his 50s who was detained at the time for suspicion of being a spy was indicted.

The man was arrested in June last year, and the Japanese consulate general in Shanghai confirmed that he was indicted in mid-August.

While this meant that the authorities were proceeding with the procedure, according to Japanese government officials, the Chinese side had not disclosed the specifics of the indictment.

Since the anti-espionage law came into force in China in 2014, there had been a series of cases in which Japanese nationals were detained by the authorities for being involved in espionage. According to Japanese government officials, at least 17 people had been detained so far.

Of these, nine were sentenced to prison in a Chinese trial, but the trial was closed to the public, and the Chinese side did not disclose what actions had violated the law.

So,  a male Japanese who was detained on suspicion of spying was indicted in August. Since the anti-espionage law came into force in China in 2014 least 17 Japanese have been detained. Of these, nine were sentenced to prison in a Chinese trial, but the trial was closed to the public. The transparency of China’s legal system and its anti-espionage law is always a concern to foreigners.