Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda appeals for help in new video after abduction in Syria
Jumpei Yasuda is thought to have been abducted by the Al-Nusra Front, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, in northern Syria in 2015
Japan’s government said Wednesday it’s doing its utmost for the rescue of a Japanese journalist believed to be held in Syria after a video of a man appearing to be him was posted on the internet.
Freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda was last heard from in Syria in June 2015.
It is thought he is being held by the Al-Nusra Front, a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that he believed the man in the video was Yasuda.
Suga refused to give further details about the rescue efforts.
“The biggest responsibility for the government is to protect the safety of Japanese nationals,” he said. “We are pursuing our utmost effort (for his rescue) through various information networks.”