Al-Nusra Said to Show Japan Conditions for Yasuda's Release in Talks

Jerusalem, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front intends to present conditions for the release of Jumpei Yasuda, a Japanese freelance journalist missing in Syria, in nagotiations with the Japanese government, a Syrian man who posted on the Interneta a video showing who appears to be Yasuda told Jiji Press Thursday. Thus the Syrian man, 30, living in Turkey, ruled out in a telephone interview the possibility of al-Nusra having already made a ransom demand. He said Yasuda has been detained by al-Nusra and now is believed to be in Syria's Idlib province. Yasuda is fine, according to the man. The man from the northwestern Syria province, where Yasuda went missing, also said he obtained the video from a person who is acting as a mediator between al-Nusra and the Japanese government for Yasuda's release. Al-Nusra sent the video to the mediator on Yasuda's birthday Wednesday after the middle man asked the militant group several months ago to give proof that he is alive. The video uploader also noted that al-Nusra is unlikely to kill Yasuda because the group has never killed hostages. Yasuda can be freed only through negotiations, he added, suggesting that al-Nusra is willing to bargain his ransom. END