Canada Condemns the Murder of Its Citizen by Abu Sayyaf Group

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, has condemned the murder of John Ridsdel, a Canadian citizen, by the Islamist group 'Abu Sayyaf' in the Philippines. According to Reuters, John Ridsdel, 68, who was in the Philippines for tourism and vacation, was kidnapped along with three others by this Islamist group in September 2015. The report states that the Philippine army announced the discovery of a severed head on a remote island, found hours after the deadline for the payment of the ransom demanded by this militant group had passed. Justin Trudeau told reporters: 'Canada condemns this violence of the kidnappers for the senseless murder. This killing of a human being in cold blood is the responsibility of the terrorist group that took him hostage.' He added that the Canadian government is committed to working with the Philippine government and the international community to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. According to Reuters, the Prime Minister of Canada did not respond to a question about negotiations with the kidnappers for the release of another Canadian hostage named Robert Hall. John Ridsdel, Robert Hall, a Norwegian citizen, and a Filipino woman were taken hostage by militants. These individuals had previously appeared in a video while surrounded by armed masked men, pleading for help to secure their release. Meanwhile, on Monday, Filipino citizens found the severed head in downtown Jolo. A spokesperson for the Philippine army stated that the Islamist group 'Abu Sayyaf,' which is linked to Al-Qaeda, had previously threatened to kill one of the hostages on Monday afternoon if a ransom of six million four hundred thousand dollars was not paid. Reuters reports that the Abu Sayyaf group has engaged in bombings and killings of several citizens in the Philippines since its establishment. According to this report, the Abu Sayyaf group also holds several others, including citizens from the Netherlands, Japan, and Malaysia, hostage.