The mother of Islamic State hostage Kenji Goto made another plea for her son’s life Wednesday after a new video said Mr. Goto and a Jordanian captive would be killed within 24 hours unless Jordan agreed to release a prisoner.
Junko Ishido, the mother of Mr. Goto, a freelance journalist, asked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to exert every possible effort innegotiations with Jordan to free her son.
“I can’t think of anyone besides Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who can negotiate with Jordan,” she said. “As a mother, I sincerely hope that Kenji can once again set foot on Japan.” Ms. Ishido said her request for meetings with Mr. Abe and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was declined.
At a Wednesday morning cabinet meeting, Mr. Abe condemned Islamic State.
“This is a despicable act and I feel strong resentment. We are asking Jordan for its cooperation, and this policy will not change,” he said.
In a video released Tuesday on social-media accounts linked to Islamic State, a voice attributed to Mr. Goto said he and Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh would be killed within 24 hours
That was the same amount that Mr. Abe offered during a Middle East tour this month in nonmilitary aid for governments in the region to deal with humanitarian issues that have arisen since Islamic State captured swaths of Iraq and Syria over the past year. Subsequent videos dropped the ransom demand.unless the Jordanian government freed Sajida al-Rishawi, who faces death by hanging for her role in 2005 hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan. The video’s narrator also urged the Japanese government to pressure Jordan to accept the demand.
“Any more delays by the Jordanian government will mean they’re responsible for the death of their pilot, which will then be followed by mine,” the narrator said.
“I only have 24 hours left to live, and the pilot has even less. Please don’t leave us to die. Any more delaying tactics will simply see both of us getting killed. The ball is now in the Jordanians’ court,” said the voice.
