This photo shows The Hokkaido Shimbun Press building in Sapporo's Chuo Ward. (Mainichi/Nozomi Genma)

       SAPPORO -- A group of women working in the media released a protest statement on June 28 over the arrest of a female newspaper reporter in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido for alleged unlawful entry onto a university campus to cover a story.

       The 22-year-old reporter, who belongs to the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper's Asahikawa branch, was arrested on the spot on suspicion of unlawfully entering Asahikawa Medical University's campus in the city of Asahikawa before later being released.

       Women in Media Network Japan -- a group consisting of women working at media organizations such as newspaper companies, TV stations, publishing firms and online media outlets -- pointed out in their remonstrance that the arrest and detention of the reporter "poses a serious problem that conflicts with freedom of coverage by news organizations and freedom of the press, and could have a chilling effect on activities to cover stories."

       The statement added that the facilities of Asahikawa Medical University -- a national university corporation -- are public property and said that "they should be open to people, and reporters should naturally be allowed to pass through them unless there is a special reason."

       "The arrest was obviously an excessive measure," the protest statement concluded.

       According to Hokkaido Prefectural Police's Asahikawa Higashi Police Station, the reporter allegedly entered the fourth floor of the university's nursing department building at around 4:30 p.m. on June 22 to cover a closed meeting on the removal of the university's president. Police released her on June 24, and are investigating the case while she remains at home.

       (Japanese original by Nozomi Genma, Hokkaido News Department)

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