The mother of a Japanese hostage held by Islamic State extremists appealed publicly on Wednesday to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to save her son after his captors purportedly issued what they said was a final death threat.
Junko Ishido, mother of journalist Kenji Goto, read to reporters her plea to Mr. Abe, which she said she sent after both Mr. Abe and the main government spokesmen declined to meet with her because their schedules were full.
“Please save Kenji’s life,” Ms. Ishido said, begging Mr. Abe to work with the Jordanian government until the very end to try to save Goto.
“Kenji has only a little time left,” she said.
The effort to free Goto and Jordanian pilot Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh gained urgency with the release of an apparent ultimatum late on Tuesday from the Islamic State group.
In the message, the extremists said the two hostages will be killed within 24 hours late on Wednesday night Japan time unless Jordan frees Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack on a hotel that killed 60 people.
“This was an extremely despicable act and we feel strong indignation. We strongly condemn that,” Mr. Abe said. “While this is a tough situation, we remain unchanged in our stance of seeking help from the Jordanian government in securing the early release of Mr. Goto.”
Jordan ready to swap prisoner
Jordan said on Wednesday it was willing to hand over Sajida al-Rishawi if Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh was released.
"Jordan is ready to release prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if the Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh was released and his life spared," Mohammad al-Momani, a government spokesman, was quoted on state television as saying.
Earlier, the pilot’s father, Safi al-Kaseasbeh, beseeched the government “to meet the demands” of the Islamic State group.
“All people must know, from the head of the regime to everybody else, that the safety of Mu’ath means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Mu’ath means chaos in Jordan,” he said.
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