Iraq hostage alive and healthy in new video

Harmeet Sooden

New video footage broadcast by Al-Jazeera television shows Auckland University student Harmeet Sooden alive and healthy, more than 100 days since he was captured while doing peace work in Iraq.

In the footage, which aired about 10pm (NZT) yesterday, Mr Sooden and two other hostages - Briton Norman Kember and Canadian James Loney - called on the Governments in the Middle East and their own countries to work for their release. The video, dated February 28, was broadcast without sound.

It showed the three men in good health, sitting in chairs and speaking.

American Tom Fox, was the only one of the four kidnapped on November 26 not shown.

CPT colleague Peggy Gish said from Iraq today the group was thankful to see three of the men alive and well but was concerned at the absence of Mr Fox.

Ms Gish said the men appeared to be holding up.

"In this video we were able to look more closely at their faces and we had the sense that they were okay, that's how I felt when I saw them," she told National Radio.

"Sure they're very tired, this must be quite an ordeal, but I had the sense that they're holding up, that's there's still a lot of strength in each of the three that we saw."

Ms Gish said CPT had not had any direct contact with the kidnappers other than through videos released and no ransom had been asked for. The group was continuing to try to locate the men and work for their release.

The latest video, the fifth since the kidnap, was an improvement on earlier ones in that it did not contain any specific deadlines, she said.

"We hope that it won't be too long before we see them standing at our door. We're praying for that everyday, but we are hopeful."

Monday marked 100 days since the men were kidnapped, and vigils were held in Britain and Canada.

Mr Brewer said yesterday efforts to free his brother-in-law had continued unabated since the first day of his capture.

"Hope remains high, but the overriding feeling is frustration. We just want to bring this thing to an end, to get Harmeet home."

Mrs Brewer said it was difficult to believe 100 days had passed since her brother was kidnapped.

"It's amazing it's been so long already, I just can't believe it," she said.

"We're just waiting and hoping."

- additional reporting NZPA