Japanese national detained in Iran in January released on bail

TOKYO, April 7 (Reuters) – A Japanese national detained in Iran has been released on bail, Japan’s top government spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The individual was detained on January 20 and released on bail on Monday, and appears to have no health issues, Chief Cabinet Secretary ​Minoru Kihara told a press briefing without providing further details such as identity or charges.

In February, Radio Free Europe reported that public broadcaster NHK’s Tehran bureau chief Shinnosuke Kawashima had been arrested in Iran and transferred to a local prison.

At the time, NHK said “there is nothing we can answer at this stage” and that staff safety was a top priority.

Japan’s government later confirmed a Japanese national had been detained in Iran and that it had been in contact with the person’s family and Iranian authorities.

Iran has been under fire since the U.S. and Israel began hostilities against the Middle Eastern country on February 28.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Christopher Cushing)