Euro MPs call for Johnston release

Euro MPs have called for the release of abducted BBC journalist Alan Johnston.

As BBC staff staged a vigil outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, an emergency resolution was adopted to have the Palestinian Authority "redouble" efforts to free Mr Johnston who was seized in Gaza over a month ago.

The 44-year-old is believed to be alive and is being held by an unknown group.

The resolution - tabled by Labour MEP Richard Howitt who met Mr Johnston while working in Gaza - also aims to ensure that journalists in the region "are able to carry out their duties free from the threat of kidnap and harassment".

Mr Howitt said: "With Europe's Development Commissioner in the region and constant contacts from the EU High Representative, the European Union can add to the efforts of the BBC and of the British Government by sending a strong political signal in favour of Alan's release.

"Alan Johnston's courageous presence precisely enabled him to report the suffering of the Palestinian people. And now he has become the ultimate case of the journalist caught up in his own story. A victim of the suffering itself."

Mr Howitt continued: "Today let the European Union add its voice to the efforts of all who believe in freedom of the press, and who are today working for freedom for Alan.

"In radio they say the biggest crime is to say nothing into the microphone. Alan Johnston's kidnapping is the radio silence that must now be ended."

Irish Fine Gael MEP Simon Coveney, who is the resolution's co-author, said: "Mr Johnston is a journalist of the highest integrity, with a record of balanced reporting during 16 years of working for the BBC, and in particular, during the past three years in Gaza.

"We must do all we can to secure his release unharmed as a matter of urgency. It is important to support Mr Johnston's family during this difficult time, and also his BBC colleagues who have been campaigning tirelessly to build public and political support for his release."

The resolution also calls on the Palestinian Authority to "ensure that journalists in Gaza are able to carry out their duties free from the threat of kidnap and harassment" and condemns acts of violence and intimidation against reporters.

European Commissioner Louis Michel will appeal directly to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this weekend to help secure Mr Johnston's release.

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