12-Yr Sentence Becomes Final for Japanese Man Held in China

Jiji Press

11:24 JST, November 12, 2023

Beijing (Jiji Press)—A Japanese man in his 50s detained in China has seen his 12-year prison sentence for espionage become a final verdict, informed sources said Saturday.

His appeal against the sentence was rejected by Hunan High People’s Court on Nov. 3, said the sources with expertise on bilateral affairs.

The man was detained in July 2019 in Changsha in the southern province of Hunan by national security staff in charge of hunting spies. A district court sentenced him to 12 years in prison in February this year.

The Japanese government asked China to release him as soon as possible.

In China, 17 Japanese people have been detained under the antiespionage law, which came into effect in 2014. In July this year, China enforced the revised antiespionage law, strengthening surveillance.

The situation worries many expatriates.

Last month, it emerged that a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma Inc., detained in March on suspicion of spying, was formally arrested.