Video | Islamic State demands US$200 million ransom for Japanese hostages
Journalist and businessman from Japan threatened with death in new Islamic State footage unless Tokyo pays US$200 million
The militant group Islamic State released an online video on Tuesday purporting to show two Japanese captives and threatening to kill them unless it received US$200 million in ransom.
A black-clad figure with a knife, standing in a barren landscape along with two kneeling men wearing orange clothing, said the Japanese public had 72 hours to pressure their government to stop its “foolish” support for the US-led coalition waging a military campaign against Islamic State.
The militant, who spoke in English, demanded “200 million” without specifying a currency, but an Arabic subtitle identified it as US dollars.
The footage named the men as Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.
The video was not dated, but on a visit to Cairo on January 17, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged around US$200 million in non-military assistance for countries battling Islamic State.