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Press Releases
Events planned to mark Alan Johnston's birthday
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A series of events will be held tomorrow to mark the birthday of Alan Johnston, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Gaza correspondent abducted on 12 March.
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Alan was abducted at gunpoint 65 days ago. Tomorrow (Thursday 17 May) he will turn
45, spending his birthday in captivity.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General Mark Thompson said: "Since Alan's abduction he has
been constantly in our thoughts. It is particularly sad that he cannot
celebrate his birthday tomorrow with the people close to him.
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"Across the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ I know there are thousands of Alan's friends and colleagues all
fervently hoping that he is safe and will soon be free to return home to
his family."
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's World newsgathering department is holding a series of birthday
vigils to mark the occasion and keep Alan's plight on the agenda.
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The Tehran Bureau in conjunction with the United Nations will hold a vigil where
Frances Harrison, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Tehran Correspondent, will speak and a short
statement will be read out in farsi by Mashaallah Shamsolvaezin, the head
of the Iranian Journalists Association.
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There will also be speeches from
a representative from the UN and a statement distributed from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's
World Editor Jon Williams.
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In addition a birthday cake will be cut with "Free Alan Johnston" written on it in icing.
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Staff and external journalists will also hold gatherings at the Moscow Journalists House and at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong where Singapore Bureau Editor Penny Richards will speak.
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There will also
be a gathering in Ramallah.
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News packages will run throughout the day on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's main bulletins on
TV and radio and on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News 24 featuring interviews and birthday wishes from
family members including Alan's parents Margaret and Graham and his
sister Katriona.
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There will also be messages from friends, including
family friend Iain Hosack who is 102 years old on the same day.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World will be running news items throughout the day featuring the messages and
details of the various events.
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There will also be a special edition of From Our Own Correspondent called To Our Own Correspondent delivered by Jon Williams.
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Staff at Bush House will be receiving birthday cards for Alan from the
general public and bbc.co.uk will continue its petition calling for
Alan's release, featuring extra birthday messages.
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Send your cards to: World Affairs Unit, Room 410SE, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Bush House, The Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK.
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The has
currently been signed by 93,000 people.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News Publicity
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