Executed Japanese Captive's Friend Says Authorities Did Nothing to Save Him

A friend of Japanese freelance reporter Kenji Goto, who had been abducted in October 2014 by Islamic State and held hostage until he was executed in 2015, said the Japanese government did nothing to save him.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A friend of Japanese freelance reporter Kenji Goto, recently beheaded by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, told Sputnik Radio on Tuesday that the Japanese government did nothing to rescue the captive.

"The Japanese government was stalling and not doing anything or negotiating," Goto's friend said. "He disappeared at the end of October, and we really didn't hear about him until this very short time ago when the first video came out."

The reporter's friend said that Goto's family and friends were devastated by the IS execution and expressed hope that Japanese authorities would help the mourning family.

The friend described Goto as a person, who always tried to help others and give voice to those who did not have one. He stated that Goto's friends intended to start a foundation in the Japanese reporter's honor.

"We are probably looking at starting a foundation to continue Kenji's beautiful legacy of helping people… We hope to put this together to continue the work that he was doing and to give a voice to those who don't have a voice, and to help the children," Goto's friend told Sputnik Radio.

In October 2014, Goto was abducted by Islamic State and held hostage until he was executed in 2015. The most recent video released by IS militants shows the Japanese reporter kneeling in front of a masked man armed with a knife.

The video showing the execution of another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, was released by IS on January 24.