Claim James Foley was killed last year rejected by family
The family and the employer of murdered journalist James Foley have rejected a claim that he was actually killed a year ago.
The chief executive of the Global Post said it was a "disgrace" that the claim had ever been published.
Bouthaina Shabaan, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's official spokeswoman, told the BBC that the United Nations had 'information' that Foley was arrested by the Free Syrian Army then sold to ISIS.
"James Foley was killed a year ago, not now, they [Islamic State] only released the pictures now, but he was killed a year ago," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "We have definite information, the UN has the information."
However the claim is contradicted by the testimony of several hostages who were in captivity with Foley.Danish photographer Daniel Ottosen spent 13 months alongside Foley, during which time he memorised a letter from him to his family.
Ottosen dictated the letter to Foley's mother Diane in June after his release.
Phil Balboni, CEO of Foley's employer the Global Post, has revealed he and Foley's brother received the first message from his captors in late November last year, saying they were ready to negotiate for his release and asking for money.
The message was followed by five or six more which "gave us the opportunity to ask proof-of-life questions", Mr Balboni said.
In the last email, in August this year, his captors said they would execute Foley.
In response to Syria's claim, Balboni said it was "totally false and contradicted by a very significant body of incontrovertible evidence", the London Telegraph reported.
"We have multiple eyewitness accounts from hostages held with Jim as recently as last month. It's a disgrace that this was ever broadcast or published," he said...
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