Wife of Isis hostage Kenji Goto breaks her silence to plead for husband's safe return

Rinko Goto praised her husband as a "good and honest man"

Japanese journalist Kenji Goto is being held captive by Isis

The wife of Isis hostage Kenji Goto has broken her silence for the first time since her husband was captured.

Mr Goto, a freelance journalist, was captured by the group in October and has been threatened with death by the group unless an Iraqi female militant is handed over by Jordan.

Audio messages apparently voiced by Mr Goto have at points directly addressed Rinko Goto, the mother of his two young children.

Ms Goto gave her first statement to the Rory Peck Trust, an international NGO that supports freelance journalists and their families through crisis.

“My name is Rinko. I am the wife of Kenji Goto, the journalist who is being held by a group in Syria. He was taken from me on 25 October 2014, and since then I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for his release.


“I have not spoken out until now as I have been trying to protect my children and family from the media attention Kenji’s plight has created around the world.



“My husband and I have two very young daughters. Our baby girl was only three weeks old when Kenji left. I hope our oldest daughter, who is just two, will get to see her father again. I want them both to grow up knowing their father.


“My husband is a good and honest man who went to Syria to show the plight of those who suffer. I believe that Kenji may have also been trying to find out about Haruna Yukawa’s situation. I was extremely saddened by the death of Haruna and my thoughts go out to his family. I know all too well what they are going through.


“I became aware that Kenji was in trouble on 2 December when I received an email from the group holding Kenji. 


“On 20 January I saw the video demand for $200m for the lives of Haruna Yukawa and Kenji. Since then, there have been several emails between the group and me as I have fought to save his life.
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"In the past 20 hours the kidnappers have sent me what appears to be their latest and final demand:

'Rinko, 


'YOU MUST PUBLICISE AND EXPOSE THIS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD MEDIA NOW! OTHERWISE KENJI WILL BE NEXT!


'If Sajida is not on the Turkish border ready for the exchange for Kenji by Thursday 29th Jan at sunset, The Jordanian pilot will be executed immediately!
'

"I fear that this is the last chance for my husband and we now have only a few hours left to secure his release and the life of Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh. I beg the Jordanian and Japanese Government to understand that the fates of both men are in their hands.
"