The kidnappers of BBC reporter Alan Johnston have sent a tape with their demands to the Al-Jazeera television network, according to the BBC. The tape contains pictures of Johnston’s ID card.
Johnston had reported from Gaza for three years when he was kidnapped by a group of armed men on March 12th of this year. He was one of the last foreign journalists to remain in Gaza despite the violence and lawlessness in the region.
Several contradicting reports have been made regarding Johnston’s fate. A Gaza group close to Al Qaeda claimed to have executed Johnston in April, but Palestinian Authority officials insist that he is still alive. While the tape shows his ID card, a similar tape made by the kidnappers of Eliyahu Asheri was produced after Asheri’s death.