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Al-Jazeera appeal for Alan Johnston

Friday 11 May 2007

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has recorded an interview to be broadcast on the Al-Jazeera news network appealing directly to the captors of missing BBC journalist Alan Johnston.

The interview, to be broadcast on Saturday 12 May 2007, follows reports earlier this week that a group calling itself Jaish al-Islam - The Army of Islam - sent a video purporting to show a picture of Alan Johnston's press card to the Al-Jazeera bureau in Gaza.

In the interview Dr Sentamu, underlining that part of Islamic theology relating to the merciful nature of Allah, appeals directly to Mr Johnston's captors to release him immediately and unharmed.

The Archbishop also stressed Alan Johnston's role in giving a voice to the Palestinian people as the only journalist to have remained in Gaza.

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