Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:09 pm
The South African government is gathering more information on the details surrounding Photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed’s escape from the hands of Isis in Syria, a senior official said on Saturday.International Relations and Cooperation Ministry Spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele said on Sunday: “Through our consular services, we are looking into the matter.”
He added: “We will only be able to comment at a later stage when we have been able to verify the whereabouts of Mr. Shiraaz Mohamed.”
Mohamed was kidnapped in the war-torn country in January of 2017 while on a charity assignment. Following the capture, his kidnappers demanded a ransom in millions of dollars for his freedom from his sponsors, a local humanitarian organisation known as Gift of the Givers.
The Gift of the Givers, who refused to pay the ransom, said it was informed of his escape by an unknown person, who also sent two photographs of Mohamed to them.
The anonymous source claimed that Mohamed was now in the custody of the Turkish intelligence, which is apparently debriefing the former captive.
The Gift of the Givers alerted both government and Mohamed’s family of his reported escape from captivity.
The family said it was treating the report of Mohamed’s escape with caution, saying it would comment once it had confirmed the journalist’s safety.
