Official silence on reports of Canadian hostage’s death in Pakistan

Reporters Without Borders urges the Canadian government to say whether it has confirmation of reports that, Beverley Giesbrecht, a Canadian journalist who converted to Islam and launched a pro-Jihadi website called Jihadunspun.com, died of an illness while held hostage by the Taliban in Pakistan. Government officials in Toronto declined to comment when contacted by Reporters Without Borders. Giesbrecht, who adopted the Muslim name of Khadija Abdul Qahaar after converting, was kidnapped by the Taliban armed group lead by Ghulam Jan, in the North Waziristan tribal area in November 2008. Aged 57 and a resident of Vancouver, she is said to have died after a lengthy illness while still held by her abductors. As far as Reporters Without Borders knows, the Canadian authorities never negotiated with her kidnappers, who requested a large ransom. A Canadian foreign ministry spokesman told the Toronto Sun that Giesbrecht was still alive but did not say what evidence the ministry had for claiming this. Giesbrecht said she had been asked by Al Jazeera to make a documentary, but the Qatar-based TV station never confirmed this. She was kidnapped together with her fixer and driver, who were later released. Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the readiness of certain Taliban groups to kidnap journalists and other westerners for ransom, without any consideration for human dignity. Video of Giesbrecht made by her captors: