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Alan Henning: Hostage's family receives plea for life | Alan Henning: Hostage's family receives plea for life |
(35 minutes later) | |
The family of British hostage Alan Henning has received an audio file of him "pleading for his life". | |
Details of the message have not been released, but Mr Henning's wife Barbara issued a message in response calling on Islamic State (IS) to release him. | |
Mr Henning, a taxi driver from Eccles in Salford, was delivering aid when he was captured in Syria in December. | Mr Henning, a taxi driver from Eccles in Salford, was delivering aid when he was captured in Syria in December. |
Mrs Henning's plea comes hours after a second video of a UK journalist and IS hostage John Cantlie was released. | |
'Loud and clear' | 'Loud and clear' |
In a statement issued through the Foreign Office, Mrs Henning said: "I and people representing me continue to reach out to those holding Alan. | |
"Islamic State continue to ignore our pleas to open dialogue. | |
"I have seen Muslims across the globe question Islamic State over Alan's fate. The voices of the people have spoken out loud and clear. | |
"He was working with Muslims to help the most vulnerable within Syria. Nothing has changed. He went to Syria to help his Muslim friends deliver much needed aid. | "He was working with Muslims to help the most vulnerable within Syria. Nothing has changed. He went to Syria to help his Muslim friends deliver much needed aid. |
The statement, the second released by the Henning family in recent days, continued: "We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the facts surrounding Alan's imprisonment and why they continue to threaten his life. | |
"I have been told that he has been to a Sharia court and found innocent of being a spy and declared to be no threat. I implore Islamic State to abide by the decisions of their own justice system. | |
"Please release Alan." | |
Death threat | Death threat |
Mrs Henning first spoke out at the weekend, saying she had sent messages to IS but had received no response. | |
Last week, British Muslim leaders called for Mr Henning's immediate release in a letter in the Independent newspaper. | Last week, British Muslim leaders called for Mr Henning's immediate release in a letter in the Independent newspaper. |
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said rescue options are limited because it is not known where the 47-year-old is being held. | |
IS militants issued a threat to kill Mr Henning in a video released on 13 September which showed the killing of another British man, David Haines. | IS militants issued a threat to kill Mr Henning in a video released on 13 September which showed the killing of another British man, David Haines. |
His death followed those of two US hostages, both of which were also shown in videos. | His death followed those of two US hostages, both of which were also shown in videos. |
Earlier on Tuesday IS released a second video of Mr Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012. | |
Like the first video, which was posted online less than a week ago, Mr Cantlie is shown speaking to the camera about IS and saying he has been abandoned by the UK government. | Like the first video, which was posted online less than a week ago, Mr Cantlie is shown speaking to the camera about IS and saying he has been abandoned by the UK government. |