Abbas says government knows where Alan Johnston is being held

Two days after saying they know the identify of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston's kidnappers, the Palestinian authorities today said they know where he is being held but have decided for the time being not to use force to avoid putting him in danger. “We are pursuing our efforts to free him as soon as possible,” President Mahmoud Abbas said. Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh has reportedly sent several messages to the kidnappers. ------------------------------------------------------------- 30.04.2007 Government says it is negotiating with Johnston's kidnappers Agence France-Presse quoted Ahmed as saying a meeting was held today between a government emissary and a representative of the group holding him. The kidnappers are said to have conveyed demands of a “political and ideological” nature which, for the time being, have not been met. “If we don't come to an agreement, the law will be applied regardless of the method we use to put an end to this case, which has given Palestinians a very bad image,” Ahmed told AFP, adding that the negotiations had reached a very delicate stage. Reporters Without Borders urged the Palestinian government to redouble its efforts to obtain the release of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston after Deputy Prime Minister Azzam Al-Ahmed confirmed today that the authorities are in contact with his abductors. Johnston was kidnapped 50 days ago in Gaza. “These past few weeks have been very trying for Johnston's family and friends,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The announcement of contacts constitutes indirect evidence that he is still alive. But the uncertainty about the identity of his kidnappers continue, and his plight should stimulate all Palestinian and foreign actors to step up their efforts to get him released as soon as possible.” The BBC's main correspondent in the Gaza Strip, Johnston was on his way home from his office on 12 March when gunmen intercepted his car and drove off with him.