A consul from the Japanese Consulate-General, Motoki Tatsunori, was apprehended, on Monday, while gathering data on the repercussions of Western sanctions on the economic situation in Russia's Primorsky Krai. On Tuesday, September 27, the Japanese Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Ambassador to Japan, Mikhail Galuzin, and handed him a note of protest, the Kyodo agency reported citing Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi

According to the news agency, Hayashi said that Russia's action breached the Vienna Convention and was "absolutely unacceptable".

The arrested diplomat had never engaged in any illegal activity, thus Tokyo sought an apology from the Russian side and warned against the repetition of similar occurrences, according to the Japanese ministry.

On the other hand, the Russian side relayed a different story, with the FSB stating that the Japanese diplomat was apprehended while receiving restricted information about Russia's cooperation with one of the countries from the Asia-Pacific region and the effect of Western sanctions on the economic situation in the Primorsky Krai in exchange for a monetary reward.

"A protest has been expressed to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels. Motoki Tatsunori has been declared persona non grata in connection with activities incompatible with the status of a diplomat," the statement added.

🇷🇺🇯🇵 FSB: spy action of the Japanese consul in Vladivostok Motoka Tatsunori was stopped.

The consul was caught red-handed while receiving limited information for money about the current aspects of Russia's cooperation with one of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, pic.twitter.com/xjUUsWU9gI

— marina alikantes (@Marianna9110) September 26, 2022

It is worth noting that Motoki Tatsunori pleaded guilty to violating Russian law, as per a recorded confession, and was given 48 hours to leave the country.

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