U.S. "condemns" detention of Japanese journalist by Russia

The U.S. State Department said Monday it "condemns" Russia's recent detention of a Japanese journalist in its Far East on suspicion of espionage."The United States condemns any attempts to intimidate, harass, and punish journalists and independent voices," a State Department spokesman said in response to Kyodo News' question about the detention of a correspondent with the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, which Russia's Federal Security Service announced last week.It is the first time a U.S. government official has stated a position on the case. The male journalist, detained in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk,…READ FULL ARTICLE