BEIRUT – Efforts to release Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassesbeh and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto from their ISIS captivity remained in limbo Thursday hours before the Islamist group’s newest deadline.
In an audio message released Wednesday night, Goto said that Jordan must turn over would-be suicide bomber Sajia al-Rishawi by sundown Thursday, or Kassasbeh would be executed.
“If Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by Thursday sunset, 29th of January, Mosul time, the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassesbeh will be killed immediately,” he said in the recording.
The new deadline comes after the expiry of a 24-hour deadline issued by ISIS earlier in the week, in which Goto said in a video recording that continued delays in Rishawi’s release would result in both hostages execution.
“Any more delays by the Jordanian government will mean they are responsible for the death of their pilot, which will then be followed by mine,” the video journalist said in a recording released on Tuesday.
Jordan has publicly announced that it was willing to swap Rishawi, who faces a death sentence in Jordan for her aborted suicide bombing attempt in Amman’s Radisson Hotel in 2005, for Kassasbeh, who was captured by ISIS after his jet crashed over Syria in December.
“From the beginning, Jordan’s stance was to safeguard the life of our son, pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh,” Jordan’s media affairs minister told the country’s Al-Rai newspaper in comments published Thursday.
Although Jordan agrees in principle to the swap, they have held-up the release of Rishawi and demanded proof-of-life for their pilot.
“Jordan requested proof of the safety and health of the hero Moaz, but they have not been sent,” Judeh tweeted Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a security source inform Al-Rai that several overflights were conducted above Raqaa in an effort to follow up on the case of the captured pilot.
Also, the Japanese embassy in Jordan denied media reports quoting the ambassador as saying that Jordan had approved to release Rishawi in exchange for the release of the Japanese captive, and not Kassasbeh.
Judeh told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the release of the Japanese hostage will “certainly” be included in the deal to secure Kassasbeh’s release.
“Yes, of course,” he Judeh told Amanpour in a phonecall, before clarifying: “But as you know our priority is our pilot, but we are cooperating very, very closely with our Japanese friends and allies.”
“It is ISIS, […] that has tied the fate of the two captives together.”
Judeh also mentioned that efforts to secure the release had been going on for several weeks.
“Perhaps some of the negotiations that have been taking place, for weeks, actually, is not direct, but perhaps through indirect channels as is always the case when it comes to situations like that.”
Goto went missing in Syria in October 2014 after entering the country in a bid to secure the release of Haruna Yukawa, another Japanese national held hostage by ISIS.
Yukawa was executed by ISIS sometime after Goto and him both appeared in a video released by ISIS on January 20.