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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| David Haines: Hostage's family appeal for IS contact | David Haines: Hostage's family appeal for IS contact |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The family of a British man being held hostage by Islamic State (IS) militants have appealed to his captors to make contact with them. | The family of a British man being held hostage by Islamic State (IS) militants have appealed to his captors to make contact with them. |
| A statement from the family of David Haines said the militants, who have beheaded two US journalists, had not replied to previous messages. | A statement from the family of David Haines said the militants, who have beheaded two US journalists, had not replied to previous messages. |
| Mr Haines, 44, from Perth, was kidnapped last year while helping to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria. | Mr Haines, 44, from Perth, was kidnapped last year while helping to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria. |
| IS has threatened to kill him in response to US air strikes in Iraq. | IS has threatened to kill him in response to US air strikes in Iraq. |
| The family statement, which was released by the UK Foreign Office and addressed the militants directly, said: "We are the family of David Haines. | The family statement, which was released by the UK Foreign Office and addressed the militants directly, said: "We are the family of David Haines. |
| "We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us." | "We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us." |
| Online video | Online video |
| The militant group, which has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a new caliphate - or Islamic state - has killed two US hostages in recent weeks, posting video evidence on the internet. | The militant group, which has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a new caliphate - or Islamic state - has killed two US hostages in recent weeks, posting video evidence on the internet. |
| IS has threatened to next kill aid worker Mr Haines unless US air strikes on its positions in Iraq are halted. | IS has threatened to next kill aid worker Mr Haines unless US air strikes on its positions in Iraq are halted. |
| The threat was made during a video posted online showing the killing of US journalist Steven Sotloff earlier this month. | The threat was made during a video posted online showing the killing of US journalist Steven Sotloff earlier this month. |
| The extremist group killed another US journalist, James Foley, last month, releasing a similar video. | The extremist group killed another US journalist, James Foley, last month, releasing a similar video. |
| Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the government was doing "everything" it could to protect the Mr Haines. | Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the government was doing "everything" it could to protect the Mr Haines. |
| The father-of-two was taken hostage in the village of Atmeh, in the Idlib province of Syria, in March 2013. | The father-of-two was taken hostage in the village of Atmeh, in the Idlib province of Syria, in March 2013. |
| He had been helping French agency Acted deliver humanitarian aid, having previously helped local people in Libya and South Sudan. | He had been helping French agency Acted deliver humanitarian aid, having previously helped local people in Libya and South Sudan. |
| 'Deeply shocked' | |
| Acted last week said it was "deeply shocked" by the images of Mr Haines broadcast by IS militants and said threats to his life were "intolerable". | Acted last week said it was "deeply shocked" by the images of Mr Haines broadcast by IS militants and said threats to his life were "intolerable". |
| The charity called for the "immediate release" of Mr Haines. | The charity called for the "immediate release" of Mr Haines. |
| Imams across Scotland - where Mr Haines's parents still live - last week used Friday prayers to reiterate their opposition to extremism and call for all hostages to be released. | Imams across Scotland - where Mr Haines's parents still live - last week used Friday prayers to reiterate their opposition to extremism and call for all hostages to be released. |
| Counter-terrorism expert Will Geddes says direct appeals to hostage takers are made for a number of reasons. | |
| "It could be appealing to the kidnappers, to their humanitarian side, to try and get them to see the human, humanity of the hostage that they've got," held BBC Radio 5 live. | |
| "The second thing could be the lack or breakdown of communications, bearing in mind that there could be any number of links in the chain in any number of discussions. | |
| "To do a public statement by the family is one way certainly to get that message to them very, very quickly." |