Sudanese Journalist Hanan Adam and Brother Killed by Paramilitary Forces
December 12, 2024
Family Tragedy in Gaza: Death of Journalist Iman al‑Shanti and Her Children
December 12, 2024
December 12, 2024 – UK/Syria –
British war photographer and correspondent John Henry Cantlie, who was abducted in November 2012 alongside American journalist James Foley, is still missing nearly 12 years later. After initially being captured by Islamist militants and briefly escaping in mid‑2012, he was re‑abducted in November during a joint assignment with Foley. Foley was tragically executed by ISIS in 2014, while Cantlie was forced into propaganda videos that he narrated until late 2016, shedding light on the dire humanitarian consequences of war through a distorted lens.
Cantlie appeared in multiple ISIS-produced clips, including the “Lend Me Your Ears” series, speaking under duress about topics such as water scarcity and bombed infrastructure. These videos marked his last confirmed sightings. In 2017, Iraqi sources reported that he may have died in a Mosul airstrike, but later testimonies from ISIS defectors and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces suggested he could still be alive in eastern Syria around Hajin. British officials echoed this belief in 2019, although they offered no concrete proof.
Despite years of hope and intermittent updates, Cantlie’s status remains shrouded in uncertainty. His family held a memorial service in 2022 after ultimately accepting that he was likely dead, even though no remains have been recovered. The lack of clarity surrounding his fate continues to haunt both loved ones and the broader journalism community.
Cantlie’s disappearance is now one of the longest unresolved cases involving a Western journalist held hostage in Syria, alongside the still-missing American freelancer Austin Tice, who was also abducted in 2012—a gap that symbolizes the broader risks journalists face in conflict zones and the difficulty of ensuring their safe return.
As geopolitical landscapes shift and territory changes hands, new testimony occasionally emerges. However, without direct confirmation, Cantlie’s ultimate fate remains unknown. His case highlights both the bravery of frontline journalism and the enduring toll of war on those who risk everything to bear witness.
Reference –
