ISIL hostage Kenji Goto's mother begs for his release
- 9 years ago
The distraught mother of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, held captive by the militant group calling itself Islamic State (ISIL)along with another Japanese, has begged the militants to release her son.
ISIL had threatened to execute the reporter and his friend Haruna Yukawa unless they received 200 million US dollars (around 177 million euros) before a 0650 CET deadline on Friday (January 23).
As that ransom deadline passed, Japanese officials said the hostages’ lives were their top priority.
They have declined to say if they any ransom would be paid, but have said they will not bow to “terrorist threats”.
#KenjiGoto, one of the two hostages held by #ISIL, committed to covering plight of Syrian civilians. pic.twitter.com/bXFbc10pbW (via shephardm)— Keith Walker (KeithWalkerNews) January 23, 2015
ISIL had threatened to execute the reporter and his friend Haruna Yukawa unless they received 200 million US dollars (around 177 million euros) before a 0650 CET deadline on Friday (January 23).
As that ransom deadline passed, Japanese officials said the hostages’ lives were their top priority.
They have declined to say if they any ransom would be paid, but have said they will not bow to “terrorist threats”.
#KenjiGoto, one of the two hostages held by #ISIL, committed to covering plight of Syrian civilians. pic.twitter.com/bXFbc10pbW (via shephardm)— Keith Walker (KeithWalkerNews) January 23, 2015