Video of “Japanese hostage” has message to family

ThispicturetakenonApril20,2004showsJapanesejournalistJumpeiYasudaattheNaritainternationalairportatNarita,suburbanTokyo.(AFPPHOTO/JIJIPRESS)

(CHINADAILY)

AvideosurfacedonThursdayappearingtoshowamissingJapanesejournalist,reportedlyheldbyanalQaedaaffiliateinSyria,readingamessagetohisfamilyandcountry.

"Hello,IamJumpeiYasuda.Todayismybirthday,16March,"thebeardedman,whoappearstobetheJapanesefreelancejournalistofthatname,saysonthevideo,postedonFacebook.

Theman,sittingatatableinfrontofawhitewall,sayshemisseshisfamilybutcannotbewiththem.Theman,dressedinadarksweaterwithascarf,mostlyseemedcalmashespokeinEnglishintheone-minutevideobutoccasionallypausedwithemotion.

JapanesemediasaidYasudawascapturedbyNusraFrontafterenteringSyriafromTurkeyinJune.PublicbroadcasterNHKsaidithadspokenbyphonewiththemanwhopostedthevideo,whosaidhehadreceiveditfromsomeoneseekingYasuda'srelease.

ForeignMinisterFumioKishidatoldreportersthegovernmentwasawareofthevideoandwascollectingandanalysingintelligencetoformulatearesponse."ThesafetyofJapanesecitizensisanimportantdutyofthegovernment,sowearemakingfulluseofvariousinformationnetworkstorespond,"Kishidasaid.

ReuterscouldnotverifythevideoandcouldnotreachYasuda'sfamily.

Themaninthevideodoesnotgiveanyinformationaboutwhoisholdinghimoranydemandstheyhave.Hesays"they"allowedhimtosaywhathewanted.

Aftersayinghewishedhecouldhughiswife,father,motherandbrother,hesays:"Ihavetosaytosomethingtomycountry:Whenyou'resittingthere,whereveryouare,inadarkroom,sufferingwiththepain,there'sstillnoone.Nooneanswering.Nooneresponding.You'reinvisible."

InDecember,mediafreedomorganisationReportersWithoutBordersretractedandapologisedforareportithadissuedthatsaidYasudahadbeenthreatenedwithexecutioninSyria.Thegovernmentsaidatthetimeitwasseekinginformation.

TheIslamicStatemilitantgroupbeheadedtwoJapanesenationals-aself-styledsecurityconsultantandaveteranwarreporter-earlylastyear.ThegruesomeexecutionscapturedtheattentionofJapanbutthegovernmentsaidatthetimeitwouldnotnegotiatewiththemilitantsfortheirrelease.