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BBC Premieres ‘Hostage,’ Reexamining John Cantlie’s Abduction and Unresolved Fate

The three-part series probes how a bid to investigate British Islamic State recruits ended in captivity that still defies closure.

Overview

  • The documentary, titled Hostage, debuts on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on March 4 at 9 p.m.
  • John Cantlie was first kidnapped in Syria in July 2012 with a Dutch photographer, was shot during an escape attempt, and was released after another militant group intervened.
  • On November 22, 2012, Cantlie and American journalist James Foley were seized by gunmen at a checkpoint as they tried to enter Syria from Turkey.
  • While held by Islamic State, Cantlie appeared in about 14 propaganda videos as a captive spokesperson, telling fellow hostages he was acting under duress.
  • Cantlie was last seen alive in Mosul in December 2016 and is presumed dead without recovered remains, with his family holding a funeral in 2022.