BRITAIN: The British government was yesterday demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of British hostages being held in Iraq, following a militant group's claim that one of the five men had killed himself.
A video passed to the Sunday Timesclaimed the man - known only as Jason - killed himself on May 25th, four days short of the first anniversary of their abduction.
A second hostage was shown on the video pleading for government action to speed their release and warning that he was suffering physically and psychologically after 14 months in captivity.
The Foreign Office last night said it had no independent verification of the claims in the video and could not comment on their veracity.
The five men - an IT consultant named Peter Moore and four bodyguards whose identities have not been confirmed - were kidnapped by a Shia group in May last year.
A statement signed by the Shi'ite Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which was passed with the video to the Sunday Times, accuses the British government of failing to respond to messages from the kidnappers and their captives.
- (PA)