Japan protests Russia’s expulsion of official, denies spying

Japan protested to Russia on Tuesday over the detention of a Japanese consulate official on espionage allegations, denying the allegations and accusing Russian authorities of abusive interrogation.
The official was detained on Sept. 22 and interrogated with his eyes covered, his hands and head pressed and immobilized, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said, prompting it to lodge a protest and to demand an apology.
On Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry notified Japan’s Embassy in Moscow that the official had been declared “persona non grata,” or an undesirable person, on grounds he conducted illegal espionage activity and it ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.