Shiraaz Mohamed family cautious amid ‘escape' reports
The family of kidnapped South African journalist Shiraaz Mohamed has responded to reports that he had escaped from captivity.
Mohamed was kidnapped in Syria in January 2017 during a trip to capture images of the war-ravaged country.
The captors were demanding a ransom of $1.5 million for his safe return.
READ: WATCH | Shiraaz Mohamed pleads for his life in a new video
In a statement, the family says confirmation of his escape will be issued once they have received sufficient information.
“Considering the sensitive nature of his circumstance we believe it is irresponsible to make any public comment as it may endanger his life.
“We will keep the media informed once we have received independent confirmation that Shiraaz is safely with the relevant authorities.”
The details surrounding his apparent escape are unclear at this point.
However, Gift of the Givers say they were informed of Mohamed’s escape on Saturday.
“The details are sketchy but we were told that Shiraaz ‘escaped’ from captivity and at some point was assisted by ‘friendly’ people, who were very aware of his case, given the huge publicity Gift of the Givers initiated worldwide around Shiraaz's capture,” says Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman.
Sooliman says pictures taken of Mohammed following is apparent escape have been sent to the organisation.
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