Militants of the terrorist group Islamic State uploaded the video of the execution of a Japanese citizen. An unknown jihadist said that the Japanese authorities had not met the requirement to deliver a Jordanian terrorist in exchange for the Japanese hostage.
"Because of your reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war, this knife will not only slaughter Kenji, but will also carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin," the man said.
Spokespeople for the Foreign Ministry of Japan confirmed that the video was authentic. Kenji Goto was captured in October trying to rescue another hostage, but Harunau Yukawa was killed by terrorists on January 24.
Terrorists want Japan to pay $200 million in 72 hours to save their citizens' lives. Japanese diplomats tried to negotiate, but to no avail.
Goto was a respected freelance television journalist who had reported from conflict zones around the world. He launched his own video news company, Independent Press, in 1996 and was mostly known for his work on humanitarian disasters in war zones.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed that the nation would not give in to what he described as an "inhumane and contemptible act of terrorism."
"Japan will work with the international community to bring those responsible for this crime to justice," Abe said.