GAZA, April 9 (UPI) -- The BBC Monday strongly disputed allegations that its reporter in Gaza had a role in his kidnapping nearly a month ago.
The BBC issued a statement in response to an article in London's Arab language Al-Hayat newspaper that said Alan Johnston may have staged the abduction because he was about to be transferred from Gaza. The article received wide attention in the Middle East.
"There is no truth in any suggestion that Alan Johnston may have staged his own kidnap, nor that the BBC was about to dismiss him," the BBC said in a statement sent to UPI. "Alan is a highly regarded member of (our) staff and was due to return to London in April at the end of a three-year posting in Gaza to resume his job with the BBC World Service."
The BBC advised all "publications not to run the (al-Hayat article) given that there is absolutely no truth to it."
Palestinian police said Johnston, 44, was abducted March 12 at gunpoint by four men. Johnston's car was found abandoned on a street shortly after he had left his office that day.
His kidnapping has led to a series of protests by journalists in the region, including a ban on reporting on Palestinian government actions. The protesters said Palestinian authorities aren't doing enough to win Johnston's freedom.
