Journalists are becoming targets of terrorists around the world, this is what hit the international headlines after the reports of suspected killing of BBC Journalist Alan Johnston emerged from nowhere.
However, the reports of Johnson being still alive, though not confirmed, came as a pleasant surprise, as he has become the longest-held Westerner in the increasingly volatile territory, not only for his family and friends but the whole world, which have been praying for his safe release for more than a month. Mr. Graham, Johnston’s father, expressing his happiness at the report, asserted,
That’s good news, that’s really good news. This is the news I’ve been waiting to hear and I don’t think the Palestinian president would say this unless he was convinced it was true. But we still don’t have proof of life. That’s what I want desperately. It’s been nearly six weeks now.
Alan Johnston, the BBC correspondent in Gaza who was kidnapped last month at gunpoint is still alive despite an unknown Palestinian Islamist group’s claim to have killed him at the weekend.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas yesterday addressing the media at Stockholm made his intelligence reports, claiming that the abducted BBC journalist Alan Johnston was ’still alive’, public. Abbas told reporters,
Yes, I believe he is still alive. Our intelligence services have confirmed to me that he’s alive. I want him to be released unharmed and safe without psychological or physical harm.
Johnston, 44, was abducted by anonymous gunmen as he was returning to his apartment in Gaza City on March 12 and has been missing since then.
The Brigades of Tawheed and Jihad, a previously unknown group, on Sunday had claimed the murder, though there had been no proof of the claim, of Johnston to prop up their demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israeli forces.
Now, after the reports of Johnson being still alive, worth and credibility of the United Nations once again is at the stake, for being the biggest and strongest world body it becomes their responsibility as well as duty to secure the harmless release of the BBC correspondent.
However, Palestinian President has promised to do his best for the safe and unconditional release of Johnson, this is a golden opportunity for the newly formed Palestinian unity government to win the trust and confidence of people around the world who are deeply concerned about the BBC media man.
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