Kathmandu— A hearing was held at the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday for Kodai Murata, a 24-year-old second lieutenant in Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), who is accused of breaking into the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife. During the hearing, Murata expressed regret over his actions and admitted to unlawfully entering the embassy.

Court Hearing Details

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Murata had climbed over a wall and forcibly entered the Chinese Embassy on March 24 this year with a knife. He threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel inside. Japanese prosecutors have indicted him on charges of unlawful entry and threatening embassy staff.

Murata's defense counsel filed for bail but the request was denied by the court, which cited concerns over potential destruction of evidence or attempts to flee.

Embassy Response

The Chinese Embassy in Japan has lodged solemn representations and a strong protest with the Japanese side following the incident. The embassy demanded that Japan provide a responsible explanation for the breach, but so far, the Japanese government has only expressed regret without offering an apology or specific accountability measures.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.