Suicide claim over Scots hostage in Iraq

GORDON Brown has demanded the immediate release of five British men held in Iraq, after their captors claimed one of the hostages, a Scottish security guard, has taken his own life.

On a trip to the Middle East, the Prime Minister condemned the unverified claim and insisted the government would do all it could to secure their release.

The message from the kidnappers about the alleged suicide of the man, known only as Jason, a private security contractor from Aberdeen, came with no evidence. However, it will lead to intense scrutiny over the government's tactic of keeping the case out of the public eye and lead to increased pressure on ministers to find a solution quickly.

Mr Brown, who is currently visiting Israel, yesterday vowed to seek the release of the five men. He said he had held talks with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and had raised the case with US officials.

"I call on the hostage-takers to release these people who have been held in captivity immediately," he said. "I will work with the Iraqi government to secure their release, and we will do everything in our power to work with everyone who is in a position to help us release these hostages."

A video showing another Scottish hostage, known as Alan, from Dumbarton, was released to a British newspaper. The father of two called for the British government to negotiate with the militant group that had seized the men.

Alan said: "Physically, I'm not doing well. Psychologically, I'm doing a lot worse. I want to see my family again. I would like for the British government to please hurry."

He called for the release of Iraqi prisoners, "especially females and religious leaders".

The Shiite Islamic Resistance is known to want the release of at least nine Iraqi prisoners in exchange for the hostages.

It is not known whether he was reading from notes dictated by his captors, but Alan is seen to look down several times during the course of the video.

The captors also claim there has been "more than one suicide attempt" among the five – however, similar claims were made about the BBC's Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped in Gaza, before he was released.

A statement in Arabic text on the film said the health and mental state of the five men had deteriorated to such an extent that there had been "more than one attempt at suicide".

"We stopped them from carrying this out through our attempts at calming their fears and assuring them that they would be freed soon, given that our demands are simple and in the hands of your government," the statement said.

"This procrastination and foot-dragging and lack of seriousness on the part of the British government has prolonged their psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide on 25 May."

Since the five men were seized from Baghdad's finance ministry in May last year, the British government has tried to protect their anonymity, as several come from military backgrounds.

However, their relatives have said the lack of publicity surrounding their plight has left the families feeling abandoned.

Even though the film was harrowing for families to watch, Dennis from Glasgow, the father of Alan, said it was comforting to see his son looking healthy.

Alan's wife, Roseleen, said: "I want the hostage-takers to find a peaceful way to resolve their grievances and to release our loved ones."

The five – an IT consultant named Peter Moore from Lincolnshire, the two Scottish bodyguards and another two from Wales, Alec MacLachlan from Llanelli and Jason from Cardiff – were seized in May last year.

Meanwhile, GardaWorld, the employer of the four guards, is locked in an American court battle over claims it has made £1 million by continuing to charge for their services since they were seized 14 months ago. It has also been claimed that it has no kidnap insurance, leaving it unable to pay any ransom demands.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, joined the calls for an immediate release of the hostages.

"The families know that they are suffering agonies of uncertainty and have been over some prolonged period of time. Clearly this broadcast … just adds to that difficulty, to that uncertainty," he said.

WHO'S WHO

PETER MOORE: AN IT consultant, Mr Moore was being guarded by the other four men while installing anti-corruption software in the ministry. Originally from Lincolnshire he was employed by American firm BearingPoint. Mr Moore has previously worked for the Voluntary Service Overseas in Guyana.

JASON: The security guard and father has family living near Aberdeen. They are said to have been informed last week of uncorroborated claims by his captors that he had killed himself on 25 May. Jason has previously appeared in a hostage video.

ALAN: The Dumbarton security guard has a wife and two children, aged three and 14. He said in the latest video he was struggling with being deprived from seeing his family. A keen motorcyclist and sky diver.

JASON: From Cardiff, he shares a name with the other hostage.

ALEC MACLACHLAN: A 28- year-old former paratrooper from Llanelli, he has a three-year-old son.

Seeking solutions to 14-month stand-off

2007

• 29 May: Contractors are seized by about 40 armed men wearing police uniforms at the Iraqi finance ministry in Baghdad.

• 7 June: Dominic Asquith, Britain's ambassador to Iraq, appeals for the men to be freed and indicates that the government is prepared to talk about the terms of their release.

• 4 December: The kidnappers issue a video warning that one hostage will be killed "as a first warning" unless British troops are withdrawn from Iraq within ten days.

2008

• 26 February: Al-Arabiya TV broadcasts another video clip received from the kidnappers, showing Peter Moore asking Gordon Brown to free nine Iraqis in exchange for the release of the five Britons.

• 29 February: The families of the five men issue a direct appeal to their kidnappers.

• 16 May: Lord Carey records a video statement in English and Arabic in which he addresses the kidnappers as "honourable men" and calls on them to release the hostages.

• 29 May: Families release a messageto mark the first anniversary of their captivity.

• 21 June: Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubai'e, says the authorities have "strong" intelligence suggesting the captives are still alive.

• 19 July: A video passed to the Sunday Times claims one of the five men – known only as Jason – killed himself on 25 May, four days short of the first anniversary of their abduction.

Gordon Brown demands their "immediate and unconditional" release.