Kidnapping and murder of Kenneth Bigley
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Kenneth Bigley, a 62-year old man from Liverpool in England (although since 5th October 2004 he holds Irish citizenship), was kidnapped in Iraq in September 2004, along with two Americans, Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong. He was reported to have been killed on October 8.
A video was released on September 22 by his captors (led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) showing Bigley pleading for his life, begging British Prime Minister Tony Blair to help him and release the female detainees held by the coalition. His kidnapping has received international attention and a delegation of British Muslims has traveled to Iraq on his behalf.
A further video was released on September 29 illustrating that Bigley was still alive, but apparently kept in a cage wearing an orange boiler suit. In it he pleads for help and states, "Tony Blair is lying. He doesn't care about me. I'm just one person".
The other two people kidnapped alongside Bigley have been gruesomely beheaded, with the videos of their murders posted on the internet.
Earlier that day, September 19, Paul Bigley, Kenneth's brother, said he had also received a translated copy of a communiqué released "from the Arab world" which claims his 62-year-old brother would be freed.
A transcript of the message, which is posted on the website AlQalah.com, says the group "frees the prisoner and saves his life and warns all those who collaborate with the aggressor, in whatever form, to leave the country, otherwise they will meet the same fate as his predecessors, that is beheading".
On October 8, 2004, Abu Dahbi Television reported that Bigley had been executed. According to BBC News, Abu Dahbi TV had been tipped off from "informed sources," although his execution has not yet been confirmed.
See also
- 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
- Human rights situation in post-Saddam Iraq
- Decapitation
External links
- Excerpt of the video showing Bigley pleading for his life
- New York Times story on the kidnapping
- BBC profile of Kenneth Bigley
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