28 Jan 2015, Adelaide- A Japanese hostage held by Islamic State reportedly says they will kill him and a Jordanian pilot within 24 hours if a woman prisoner is not freed.
An image of Kenji Goto in an orange jumpsuit has appeared online along
with an audio message purportedly of him pleading for his life.
Journalist Mr Goto, 47, said he has been told this was his last message and that "the barrier to my freedom is the Jordanian government delaying the handing over of Sajida al Rishawi".
Mr Goto, holding a picture of pilot Muath al Kasaesbeh, added: "Time is now running very short. It is me for her. What seems to be so difficult to understand?"
In the audio message, Mr Goto purportedly urged the Japanese authorities to put pressure on the Jordanians to release the would-be suicide bomber al Rishawi from death row.
She is in prison for her part in the Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people.
And he said if she was not freed, then he and First Lieutenant al Kasaesbeh would be killed by IS within 24 hours.
Japan said it was asking the Jordanian government for help to secure Mr Goto's release, adding it was "an extremely difficult situation".
Haruna Yukawa, his fellow Japanese hostage, is believed to have been murdered by the Islamist militant group.
A video purportedly showing an image of Mr Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Mr Yukawa was posted online at the weekend.
Last week, IS demanded a $200m (£131m) ransom for the pair's release and set a 72-deadline which expired last Friday.
Saturday's video also included audio comments apparently from Mr Goto in which he said the militants were no longer demanding money but for al Rishawi to be freed from jail.
Speaking after the clip was released at the weekend, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed what he called "an outrageous and unforgivable act" and said the video appeared to be authentic.
Mr Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism and said his government would spare no effort to secure the release of the remaining captive.
Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company.
Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went into Syria in late October seeking to secure Mr Yukawa's release, according to friends and business associates.
Mr al Kasaesbeh was seized in December when his aircraft crashed.
The group claimed it had hit the F-16 fighter jet, which was flying with US-led coalition forces, with a heat-seeking missile near Raqqa city in northern Syria.
But US officials insisted this was not the case, saying an investigation was taking place into whether it suffered a mechanical fault.
Jordan said the incident happened during a "military mission against the hideouts" used by IS - and said it was unclear how the plane came to crash.
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