New photo of Japanese journalist who went missing in Syria

A new photograph of freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda, who went missing in Syria last year, has surfaced online. In the photograph, Yasuda is seen wearing a yellow shirt and is carrying a handwritten message that reads, “Please help. This is the last chance. Jumpei Yasuda.” In March, a video was released online that showed Yasuda on screen. He spoke in English and said his name and birth date (March 16).

There were no indicators in the photo that revealed Yasuda’s location and the Japanese government has said that it’s analysing the image now.

AFP reported that the photograph was posted online by the same person who had posted the footage in March, Tarik Abdul Hak. In March, he had told AFP that it had been provided to him by a group called al-Noor, which he said “has been mandated by (the al-Qaeda-linked) al-Nusra to carry out a mediation for his release”.

Last year, the Islamic State beheaded Japanese war correspondent Kenji Goto and his friend Haruna Yukawa.