Mother of Japanese Hostage Held By Islamic State Pleads For Son's Release

The Japanese mother of one of the hostages held by the Islamic State has issued a plea to the Japanese Prime Minister to help free her son.

Junko Ishido, mother of Japanese prisoner Kenji Goto, released a statement pleading for her son's release after a video by the Islamic State surfaced indicating that Goto only had 24 hours to live.

In the video, Goto was accompanied by a Jordanian hostage, pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh, who reportedly has an even shorter time to live before his country is to meet the demands of the terrorist group, based in Syria and Iraq.

"Please save Kenji's life. I call on you to work with all your strength in negotiations with the Jordanian government," Goto's mother, Junko Ishido, wrote in a letter to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.

"His remaining time is very short [...] I beg you to do everything in your power," Ishido added.

Goto was originally being held hostage by the Islamic State along with another Japanese national, Haruna Yukawa, who was allegedly executed last week. A video uploaded by the Islamic State appears to show Yukawa's body.

"We are using every diplomatic channel and means to work toward a release," Abe recently told reporters regarding his efforts to free Goto.

"This act of terrorism is an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence," Abe added last weeked. "I feel a strong sense of anger and firmly condemn this. I again strongly demand the immediate release of Mr. Kenji Goto unharmed."