A video of kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston has appeared on the internet. The video shows Johnston alive and well.In the first pictures seen since his abduction in Gaza on March 12, a video showing a seemingly-healthy Alan Johnston has been posted on the internet by the army of Islam, the group that claims to be holding the reporter.
In a calm statement, a healthy-looking Johnston claims that his captors have been treating him well and that here has been no violence against him.
Johnston speaks also of the suffering of the Palestinian population, stating “everyday there are Palestinians arrested, imprisoned for no reason. People are killed on a daily basis. The economic suffering is terrible, especially here in Gaza.’
The British journalist calls for the repeal of the economic embargo currently placed on the Palestinian people and speaks of the “failed invasion of Iraq by America and Britain”, stating the UK administration is occupying Muslim lands against the wishes of the people who live there.
The date and circumstances of the tape’s recording remain unclear.
Alan Johnston was kidnapped from his car in Gaza City on March 12. He was the only Western journalist that maintained a constant presence in the region. Johnston has now been held longer than any other foreigner kidnapped in the area.
