Video: American Hostage’s Mother Begs ISIS Leader to Release her Son

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The mother of an American hostage, Steven Sotloff, being held by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has released an emotional, heartbreaking plea video to his captors. Shirley Sotloff, the mother of the 31-year-old freelance journalist Steven J. Sotloff, addressed her plea directly to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the self-declared caliph of the Muslim world.

Her son, freelance journalist Steven Sotloff, appeared last week in an ISIS video showing the decapitation of American journalist James Foley. The militant in the video warns that Steven Sotloff's fate depends on what President Barack Obama does next in Iraq. A day after the video was posted, Obama vowed that the United States would be "relentless" in striking back against ISIS.


Ms. Sotloff addresses Mr. Baghdadi as caliph and calls on him to exercise his right to show clemency and follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad as previous caliphs did.

“I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands,” she begins. “You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life. I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over."

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