Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda, who returned home last year after more than three years of captivity in Syria, said Tuesday the government has denied him a new passport, effectively preventing him from traveling overseas.
The Foreign Ministry notified him on July 10 that it based its decision on a passport law stipulating the government may not issue a passport to a person if a destination country denies that person entry. Yasuda has been banned for five years from entering Turkey, from where he was deported back to Japan upon his release.
Yasuda said he has no plans to travel to Turkey and is considering filing an appeal or a lawsuit.