Tomislav Salopek (Image taken from Islamic State video)

Wilyat Sina (Sinai Province) an affiliate with the Islamic State has released an image on social media alleging the beheading of Tomislav Salopek (age 30) who was taken hostage on July 22nd 2015 in Egypt. A caption read, “execution of prisoner from Croatia – which has participated in war on IS – after deadline ended.”

The kidnappers had earlier called for the release of female Muslim prisoners stating Salopek would be killed within 48 hours if the demands were not met.

Salopek, a father of two, who disappeared from the outskirts of Cairo was employed by CGG Ardiseis, a French oil and gas geoscience company. His father Zlatko who lives in Vrpolje, East Croatia appealed for his release several days ago telling AFP, “I am asking the people who hold my son to let him return to his family, because his motive to go to your homeland was exclusively to earn bread for his children. Nothing else.”

IS image of beheading taken from video

Within the image are 2 reports from Egyptian media. The first is detailing Croatia’s support for Egypt fighting terrorism, a second covers Croatia’s support for the Kurds who fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Croatian forces are also part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and serve in Afghanistan. The photograph of the alleged beheading could not be independently verified.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.