CREDIT: REUTERS/YUYA SHINO
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned on Sunday (February 1) the apparent killing of journalist Kenji Goto by Islamic State, after the militant group released a video purporting to show the beheading of the veteran war correspondent.
Islamic State insurgents said on Saturday (January 31) they had killed Goto, after the apparent failure of sustained international efforts to secure his release through a prisoner swap.
The video showed a hooded man standing over Goto with a knife to his throat, followed by footage of a head put on the back of a human body.
“A video appears to show Kenji Goto being killed has been released. When I think of the pain of the family, I don’t have any words. The government did all that we could but but it is a very regretful result,” Abe told journalists inside of the Prime Minister’s official residence.
A grim-faced Abe also said Japan would not give in to terrorism and that his country would work with international partners to bring those responsible for Goto’s apparent killing to justice.
“This is a very unjust and cowardly terrorist act and we remain extremely angry about it. We do not forgive terrorists,” Abe said.
The release of the video came exactly a week after footage purportedly showing the beheaded body of another Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa.
The Islamic State threats to kill their Japanese hostages came after Abe announced $200 million in non-military aid for countries contending with Islamic State.
His government rejected any suggestion it acted rashly and stressed the assistance was humanitarian.
“Japan will not give in to terrorism. We will continue giving and expand our food, medical and humanitarian aid,” Abe said reiterating that he would not give up on the support.
Abe’s government had put high priority on seeking the release of Goto, captured by the militants in late October when he went to Syria seeking Yukawa’s release.
Islamic State, which has seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria, has beheaded a number of Western journalists and aid workers, saying they were paying the price for their governments’ fight against the group.
It has also killed many local people, through beheadings, stonings and shootings, accusing them of violating their hardline interpretation of Islamic law.
Reuters/TV Tokyo
