Ransom of 1.5 million USD requested for Shiraaz Mahomed
According to Gift of the Givers' Imtiaz Sooliman, Mahomed 's captors have stated they are negotiable with their ransom demands.
Following the proof of life video that Gift of the Givers received from Shiraaz Mahomed's captors in Syria on Friday, the organisation says they have received a call to commence negotiations on the way forward.
"The demand for Shiraaz's release is 1.5 million USD," says Gift of the Givers' Imtiaz Sooliman. "We made it clear that this was not possible. We stated that Shiraaz's family does not have the means, nor is Shiraaz the employee of a large corporate company that could assist with payment and the South African government will not pay. They said they giving us time to consider options."
Mahomed has been held captive in Syria for two years now after he was captured near the border with Turkey where he was taking photos of Syrian people. He was accused of being a foreign spy.
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According to Sooliman, Mahomed 's captors have stated they are negotiable with their ransom demands.
"They seemed anxious and said they need to conclude this deal urgently. The Russians were bombing South Idlib and North Hama very aggressively and they are afraid that Shiraaz could be killed in the bombing," said Sooliman.
"We are currently engaging with religious leaders to provide letters requesting the unconditional release of Shiraaz immediately, to prevent a tragedy. We lost Pierre Korkie on the day that his release was secured, Stephen McGown's mother passed on one month before Stephen was released, we certainly don't want to live through another such incident."