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Isis Japanese hostages: Video purports to show Haruna Yukawa executed and second hostage Kenji Goto with new terms for release Isis Japanese hostages: Video purports to show Haruna Yukawa executed and second hostage Kenji Goto with new terms for release
(about 6 hours later)
A video has emerged online claiming one of the two hostages being held by Isis has been killed and showing the other hostage outlining new terms for his release.A video has emerged online claiming one of the two hostages being held by Isis has been killed and showing the other hostage outlining new terms for his release.
The video purports to show a still of journalist Kenji Goto holding an image of what appears to show the death of his fellow hostage Haruna Yakuwa. The Japanese government has expressed “outrage” at the emergence of a video which purports to show the killing of one of two of its citizens being held hostage by Islamic State (Isis) in Syria.
The image was accompanied by an audio recording purporting to be that of Mr Goto saying Mr Yakuwa had been beheaded and demanding a prisoner exchange. Officials are desperately trying to verify the message as the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, insisted that the country would never bow down to terrorism, and called for the release of the two men.
In the audio, a man could be heard speaking in English and blaming Mr Abe for Mr Yukawa’s alleged death. “I have a strong sense of anger,” Mr Abe said after an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis and determine the veracity of the video message. “We will not give in to terrorism,” he said, adding that the alleged killing was “an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence”.
The audio says that if alleged militant Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi is released, Mr Goto will be released as well. She is being detained by Jordanian authorities. The three-minute message differs from previous communications posted by the group. It shows a single, still image of 47-year-old Kenji Goto holding a photograph of what appears to be the body of 42-year-old Haruna Yukawa. Audio of Mr Goto speaking in English is played, where he demands a prisoner exchange to save his own life.
It also appealed to Mr Goto's wife and his colleagues at Independent Press to pressure the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his release. David Cameron said: “The reported brutal murder of Haruna Yukawa and the further threats made by Isis are yet another reminder of the murderous barbarity of these terrorists. Britain stands in solidarity with the Japanese people at this difficult time and we will continue to offer the Japanese government all possible assistance.”
The images and audio have not been verified and vary greatly from previous videos released by the group. Last year, Isis released videos showing the murder in a desert location of British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning, as well as US citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Abdul-Rahman Kassig. Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company. Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went too, apparently against advice, as he felt a responsibility for his friend Mr Yukawa.
The Japanese Government said it is trying to verify the reports. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said cabinet ministers were holding an emergency meeting about the new message. Isis, which controls vast swathes of both Syria and Iraq, had threatened on Tuesday to kill both hostages within 72 hours unless it received a $200m (£133m) ransom, a demand that now seems to have been dropped. That deadline passed on Friday with no word on the two hostages from their captors.
Prime Minister Abe told reporters after the news broke: "This is an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence. However, there appeared to be some confusion over the authenticity of the video, which appeared online and then seemed to be deleted. One militant on a website affiliated with Isis said the message was a fake, while  another said it was intended to go only to the Japanese journalist’s family. A third noted that the video was not issued by al-Furqan, which is one of the media arms of Isis and has issued past videos involving hostages and beheadings.
"We strongly demand the prompt release of the remaining captive Kenji Goto, without harm." Before the release of the message, The Japan Times had claimed it had a source saying both hostages were still alive. This claim could also not be verified.
"We will not give in to terrorism," he later said. Obtaining intelligence from Isis-held territories has proven difficult for Japan after its diplomats left Syria as the civil war there escalated.
A foreign correspondent for The New York Times said on Twitter: "Isis source has sent me audio allegedly of Kenji Goto stating that Haruna has been beheaded. Patrick Ventrell, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said its intelligence officials were also working to confirm whether the new message was authentic. “We stand in solidarity with Japan and are co-ordinating closely,” he said.
"Isis has now dropped ransom demand and is asking for a prisoner exchange for a 'sister' detained in Jordan." The audio requested that Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi be released from a Jordanian prison. Al-Rishawi was convicted of taking part in a suicide bombing of the Jordanian capital Amman in 2005, along with her husband, which killed scores of people. Her suicide belt failed to go off. She has apparent connections, believed to be through her brother, to al-Qaeda in Iraq.
It comes after a 72-hour deadline for a $200 million (£132m) ransom was delivered in a video on Tuesday. The militant in that video had threatened to kill both men if the Japanese Government did not pay $100m for each hostage. Japanese officials have not yet said if they will pay a ransom.
On Friday, Mr Goto’s mother Junko Ishido issued an emotional plea to spare the life of her son, telling militants: "My son is not an enemy of the Islamic State.” Mr Abe was said to have called the two hostages’ families.
Ms Ishido told a news conference her son's wife had recently given birth and implored militants to release him, saying the child needed a father.
Mr Yukawa, who describes himself as having his own 'private military company' on his Facebook, is believed to have been captured by Isis militants near Aleppo in August after travelling to Syria.
Mr Goto, a seasoned war correspondent who had reported in the Middle East previously, also travelled back to the region later in the year. The last correspondence from him was received by his family in October after he crossed the border into Syria from Istanbul.
Mr Goto had reportedly gone to Syria to help secure Mr Yukawa's release after seeing video footage of his capture.