IS threatens to kill Japan hostage and Jordan pilot ‘within 24 hours’

The Islamic State jihadist group threatened Tuesday to kill a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian pilot within 24 hours unless Amman frees a jailed female militant. A video released on jihadist websites shows a picture of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto holding a photograph of Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh. A voiceover, purportedly by Goto, warns that Jordan is blocking the Japanese journalist’s release by failing to free Sajida al-Rishawi, a would-be suicide bomber on death row since 2006. Japan said following the new threat that it was seeking help from Jordan.

Time is now running very short. It is me for her. What seems to be so difficult to understand?

Kenji Goto

Al-Rishawi is in prison for her part in the Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people. Moments after the new video appeared, Goto’s mother Junko Ishido urged the government to do “whatever it can do”. Deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama, who is in Jordan’s capital Amman, told reporters that Japan and Jordan were co-operating to ensure Goto’s release. There was no immediate comment from Jordan, a moderate Muslim nation that is one of Japan’s closest diplomatic allies in the Middle East. Kassasbeh was captured by IS on December 24 after his F-16 jet crashed while on a mission against the jihadists over northern Syria.

The Japanese government in this extremely severe situation has asked for collaboration from the Jordanian government to help secure the release of Kenji Goto swiftly. There’s no change to this stance.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga

World Kenji Goto