Japanese National Detained in Iran Has Been Released

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)--One of the two Japanese nationals detained in Iran was released on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a television program Sunday.

The individual arrived in Japan on Sunday morning and is in good health, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry official.

The Japanese national in question was detained in June last year. The Iranian authorities freed the Japanese citizen after concluding that the individual had served a prison term.

Another Japanese national was detained by local authorities in Iran in January this year. A U.S. government-funded media outlet has reported that the individual is the Tehran bureau chief of Japan Broadcasting Corp., Japan's public broadcaster known as NHK.

Regarding efforts for the remaining Japanese national, Motegi said, "We are in contact with the family and are working toward securing an early release."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]