Islamic State group 'rejects Jordan pilot swap offer'

The Islamic State group has reportedly rejected an offer to swap a Jordanian pilot for a high-profile IS sympathiser, according to the transcript of a phone call presented to al-Araby al-Jadeed by the pilot's family.

Jordan had on Wednesday offered to swap Lieutenant Maaz al-Kassasbeh for Sajida al-Rishawi after the IS said it would kill Kassasbeh unless Rishawi was released within 24 hours.

However, the pilot's family presented the transcript of a telephone statement purportedly from the Islamic State. It said the group had rejected the offer, and that images of Kassasbeh's body would be posted on the internet tomorrow.

Al-Araby translated the note from the original Arabic but cannot independently verify its content.

The notes state: "Sajida was supposed to be in Raqqa this morning. Your king disrespects the blood of his people, his soldiers and the pilot, so wait for Maaz's body tomorrow on our site."

It adds: "The Islamic state is the one that puts conditions and does not accept any conditions," and called on Jordanians to "press their government and protect their lives otherwise their King will kill them through his arrogance and his tyranny".

The family told al-Araby that they believed the phone call was genuine. Members of Kassasbeh's family were on Wednesday night gathered at the royal court in Amman to discuss the situation with officials - the first such meeting.

Amman's offer came hours after the IS group said it would kill Kassasbeh and Kenji Goto, a Japanese hostage, unless Jordan released Rishawi, an Iraqi woman with links to the IS group and its predecessor, the Islamic State of Iraq.

The IS group said only that it would not kill Kassasbeh, and did not offer to exchange him. Nevertheless, Jordan's government demanded his freedom as part of any deal.

"Jordan is ready to release the prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if the Jordanian pilot is freed unharmed," a government statement said. "From the start, the position of Jordan was to ensure the safety of our son, Kassasbeh," it added. It made no mention of the Japanese hostage.

The Japanese government said it believed the IS deadline was about 2pm GMT on Wednesday, a time already expired.

Kassabeh was captured by IS fighters after his F-16 jet crashed in Syria while he was taking part in a mission as part of the US-led coalition against the group.

We want Maaz to come back. That is all we want, nothing else. We’ll get Maaz back at any price. Kassabeh's father, Safi.

Jordan's government has been under huge pressure to secure his release after the IS group killed a Japanese hostage earlier this month and threatened the lives of other captives.

Amman has been the scene of large protests over his captivity. At a sit-in at the prime minister's official residence yesterday, Kassabeh's father, Safi, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that he was willing to do anything to secure his son's freedom.

"We want Maaz to come back. That is all we want, nothing else. We’ll get Maaz back at any price," he said.

The pilot's father said he would hold the government of Jordan responsible if his son was murdered. He said no officials had been in contact with him and he had not been told the details of the government's efforts to free his son.

The sit-in was organised by the Barasha tribe shortly after the IS began making threats against the pilot's life.

Rishawi is in prison in Jordan after being found guilty of attempting to bomb hotels in Amman in 2005. Her bomb failed to deotante but other explosions killed at least 60 people.

A Jordanian official earlier on Wednesday denied to al-Araby rumours that Rishawi had already been handed over to a third party to begin the prisoner swap.

The foreign minister, Nasser Judeh, said on Twitter: "The rumours are not true. We have said since the get go that her release depends on the release of our son Maaz."

The rumours led to claims that Jordan was preparing to release her in exchange for the Japanese hostage, but leave Kassasbeh in the hands of the IS group.