The  Foreign Office has condemned a video of the kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston which shows him with a belt of explosives strapped around his waist.
News of the video emerged in a speech by the deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, in which he criticised the kidnapping as a threat to Palestinian interests. Mr Haniyeh said: “In the past, they showed him in an orange uniform. Today they showed him with an explosives belt round his waist”.
The one-minute 42-second tape, titled ‘Alan’s Appeal’, was posted by a group calling itself the Army of Islam, which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, on a site often used by militants.
Looking nervous and stressed, Johnston says: “Captors tell me that very promising negotiations were ruined when the Hamas movement and the British government decided to press for a military solution to this kidnapping”.
“The situation now is very serious. As you can see, I have been dressed in what is an explosive belt which the kidnappers say will be detonated if there was any attempt to storm this area,” he adds.
The Palestinian group has demanded Britain free Muslim prisoners, particularly the Islamist cleric Abu Qatada. The Foreign Office restated its demand that Johnston be released. A spokeswoman said: “We condemn the release of videos like this, which can only add to the distress of Alan Johnston’s family.
They have not seen Alan for over 14 weeks; those holding Alan should release him”. The BBC said it was investigating.
The 45-year-old veteran Gaza correspondent was seized on March 12 as he drove the short distance from his BBC office in Gaza City to his apartment. Hopes of his imminent release were raised and then dashed last week after suggestions by Hamas officials that he could be freed within hours.
An Army of Islam spokesman quickly denied this, and threatened to kill Johnston if the group’s demands were not met.