James Foley’s parents release a letter he wrote while imprisoned

Murdered journalist had asked another hostage to memorise his words

File photograph of US journalist James Foley speaking at a university in Illinois after being released from imprisonment in Libya in this 2011. Photograph: Tommy Giglio/Reuters/Northwestern University/Handout
File photograph of US journalist James Foley speaking at a university in Illinois after being released from imprisonment in Libya in this 2011. Photograph: Tommy Giglio/Reuters/Northwestern University/Handout

The parents of murdered American journalist James Foley have released a letter their son wrote during his time in captivity.

Mr Foley was kidnapped in 2012 while covering the Syrian uprising, and the Islamic State group posted a video last Tuesday showing his killing.

In the letter, Mr Foley said he was being held with 17 other hostages, and they passed the time by discussing films, sport and trivia and playing games made up of scraps found in their jail cell.

Mr Foley says the hostages were fed daily, and given tea and coffee.

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His parents said the letters their son wrote were confiscated by his captors.

So he asked another hostage who was about to be released to memorise his letter and recount it to his family after he was freed.

The family, from Rochester, New Hampshire, posted the letter on a Facebook page called "Find James Foley".

PA