Journalists at the BBC have held a vigil in London for their colleague Alan Johnston, the Gaza correspondent, who was kidnapped by gunmen almost 90 days ago.
Their calls for his immediate release come four days after his captors, the Army of Islam, released a video of the journalist, showing him to be alive and well.
In the video, which was uploaded to a militant website on Friday, it is claimed Johnston would be freed in return for the release of Muslim activists, including Abu Qatada.
The activists are being held by authorities in “infidel countries,” the video states.
Although the footage gave some reassurance to the parents of Alan Johnston, in light of some reports he had been killed, the BBC and the British authorities said the undated video needed to be examined carefully.
On Sunday, a national newspaper in the UK cited Palestinian officials as saying the video, which was sent to major media outlets, is six weeks old.
But despite the time delay, sources obtained by The Sunday Times were reported as saying Johnston is still alive and in reasonable health.
The paper claimed the feeling among those close to negotiating Johnston’s release is that Army of Islam has nothing to gain by killing the reporter.
The splinter group, which is said to be holding Johnston in the al-Sabra area of Gaza, was reported to have received threats from Fatah, the Palestinian group, that they will bulldoze the neighbourhood if the journalist is harmed.
Jun 5, 2007
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