Japan says a second Japanese person is detained in Iran

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Japan's Foreign Ministry says a second Japanese national has been detained in Iran and requested the early release of both people

TOKYO -- A second Japanese national has been detained in Iran, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Friday and requested the early release of both people.

The ministry confirmed the second person had been detained before the Feb. 28 military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The ministry said the detainee is safe and in good health but gave no other details such as the timing of the detention or whether it is related to the detention of a Japanese journalist reported last month.

Japanese officials had confirmed the first person's detention though they refused to give the detainee’s identity.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the first detainee as Shinnosuke Kawashima, the Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Its report quoted an unidentified source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution.

CPJ said Kawashima was arrested Jan. 20 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was transferred Feb. 23 to Evin Prison.

The organization demanded the immediate release of Kawashima and other journalists detained for their work.