Masatoshi Nakanishi, a Japanese language teacher in his 50s, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Belarusian court on charges of espionage. Nakanishi, who has been living in Gomel, southeastern Belarus, since 2018, was convicted of collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency in actions deemed harmful to Belarus' national security.
The Minsk City Court handed down the verdict following a two-month trial conducted behind closed doors. According to the Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office, Nakanishi was found guilty of "cooperating with a special service, security and intelligence agency of a foreign state, involving actions knowingly aimed at harming the national security" of Belarus. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to approximately €6,130.
Diplomatic Tensions Rise Over Closed-Door Trial
The Japanese embassy in Belarus had requested permission to attend the trial but was denied by Belarusian authorities. Nakanishi was detained in July 2022 while working as a Japanese language teacher in Gomel. The case has drawn significant attention, with Tokyo repeatedly urging Minsk to release him.
Last September, Belarusian state television aired a 15-minute program titled The Failure of a Samurai from Tokyo, which detailed Nakanishi's alleged espionage activities. The broadcast prompted a formal protest from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to Japanese Ambassador Hiroyuki Yamamoto, accusing Nakanishi of undermining Belarus' security.
The Japanese embassy confirmed to NHK, a Japanese media outlet, that it has been in ongoing communication with Belarusian authorities, demanding Nakanishi's immediate release. The case has further strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, with Japan expressing concern over the lack of transparency in the trial process.
As of now, Nakanishi remains in custody, and the Japanese government continues to seek his release through diplomatic channels.