Japan Confirms Return of Detained Citizen from Iran Another Still Held

By Blessing Nweke

The government of Japan announced Monday that one of two nationals detained in Iran has returned home safely, offering a measure of relief amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the second individual.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed at a regular press briefing that the released citizen arrived back in Japan on Sunday in good health. The confirmation followed remarks a day earlier by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who first disclosed the release during a television appearance.

Motegi said the individual had been detained since 2025 and was freed last Wednesday, departing Iran via neighboring Azerbaijan before returning home. He credited sustained diplomatic engagement, including repeated appeals to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for securing the person’s release.

Kihara also provided an update on the second Japanese national, who was detained earlier this year and remains in custody. He said Japanese authorities have confirmed the detainee is in stable condition, adding that Tokyo continues to press for an early release.

Advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists has identified the second detainee as a journalist working for NHK. According to the group, the journalist was arrested on Jan. 20 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and later transferred to Evin Prison in February.

Japanese officials have not publicly confirmed the identities of either detainee, nor clarified whether the two cases are connected. The Foreign Ministry has maintained that both individuals are safe, but has released limited details.

The situation underscores ongoing tensions and the challenges of securing consular access and releases in sensitive international cases.