WORLD / Middle East
BBC reporter shown in 'bomb belt'
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-06-26 06:56
LONDON: The family and colleagues of Alan Johnston, a BBC reporter
kidnapped by Islamists in Gaza, urged his captors yesterday not to harm
him after he appeared in a video wearing what he said was an explosives
belt.
BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston is seen wearing what he said was as
an explosive belt in this image taken from a June 24, 2007 video released
by Jaish al-Islam. Johnston appeared in the video posted on the Internet
on Sunday wearing what he said was as an explosive belt which he said his
captors will detonate if force was used to free him. [Reuters]
Johnston's father said he and his family were "most concerned and
distressed" about the video, in which the 45-year-old Briton said his
kidnappers had threatened to blow up the belt of explosives if force was
used to free him.
The BBC also said it was "very distressing" to see Johnston "being
threatened in this way".
"Our thoughts, of course, are with Alan in his present predicament. We
earnestly request his abductors to release Alan unharmed in any way,"
Johnston's father said in a statement.
In the one-minute-long video posted by the Army of Islam on a website
used by militants, Johnston looked tired but unharmed and appealed to the
Hamas movement and the British government "not to resort to tactics of
force in an effort to end this".
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in Gaza, where the movement took
control in a civil war more than a week ago, that contacts were under way
with Johnston's captors to gain his release through peaceful means.
"We will work in every way to free Alan Johnston without putting his life
at risk," Barhoum said. "Preserving Alan's life and freedom is better
than shedding blood and maybe that will cost us more time."
Johnston appeared in the video wearing a white and blue belt around his
torso with black shoulder straps over a dark red sweater in the undated
video filmed against a black background.
Johnston's captors say they want Britain to free Muslim prisoners,
particularly Islamist cleric Abu Qatada, in exchange for the reporter's
release.
Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip say they are pressing the kidnappers to
free Johnston, but Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the Hamas-led
government sacked by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, said
on Sunday his group had not used force to try to free Johnston at the
request of the British government, fearing he might be harmed in the
process.
"We ask those holding Alan to avoid him being harmed by releasing him
immediately," the BBC said in a statement.
Johnston was abducted in Gaza on March 12 and is believed to be being
held by the Army of Islam.
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