Officials say that a message which appears to be from ISIS claims that the remaining Japanese hostage and a pilot from Jordan currently have under "24 hours to live" emerged today.
According to the Associated Press, the message references Kenji Goto, the Japanese hostage, and Jordanian pilot 1st Lt. Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh. In addition, it demands that Sajida al-Rishawi be released. The Associated Press adds that al-Rishawi received a death sentence due to her involvement in a 2005 attack which left 60 people dead.
What's more, the Associated Press reports that this latest release was consistent with the video released on Saturday, which purports to show Goto holding a picture of the Haruna Yukawa's decapitated corpse.
The extremist group vowed to kill Goto and Yukawa unless the Japanese government paid them $200 million. According to Newsweek, the video depicts Goto pleading for his life while holding an image of a man that ISIS alleges is al-Kaseasbeh:
I have been told this is my last message and I have also been told that the barrier of extracting my freedom is just the Jordanian government delaying the government of Sajida. Time is now running very short. It is me for her, what seems to be so difficult to understand? Any more delays from the Jordanian government will mean they are responsible for the death of their pilot, which will then be followed by mine. I only have 24 hours left to live and the pilot has even less. Please don’t leave us to die.
The Associated Press notes that it has not verified either one of these most recent messages, but adds that the actions of Japanese government officials imply that believe the previous video is valid.
[via Associated Press and Newsweek]
