Japanese Consul Motoki Tatsunori, detained in Vladivostok, pleaded guilty to violating Russian law, a video of the confession was published on Monday, September 26, by the Federal Security Service (FSB).
After the arrest, he realized that he had violated the laws of the host country.
“Now I understand,” he answered the relevant question in the building of the FSB Directorate for Primorsky Krai.
Tatsunori was detained on September 26 while receiving restricted information.
According to the FSB, the consul was detained while receiving for money information of limited distribution about the current aspects of Russia’s cooperation with one of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The documents also discussed the impact of Western sanctions policy on the economic situation in Primorsky Krai.
The diplomat has been declared persona non grata.
The Japanese side has been protested through diplomatic channels.
On September 5, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that statements about Russia’s turn to the east amid Western sanctions are unfair. He noted that the Asia-Pacific region has always been very important for Moscow both for trade and economic relations and in terms of energy dialogue.
He added that this line continues.
