Louisa Akavi’s case was kept secret out of fear it could put her life at risk., her employer spoke out for the first time saying that she may still be alive.The International Committee of the Red Cross , says it has received recent eyewitness reports suggesting Ms Akavi could still be living in Syria.As recently as December, Ms Akavi may have been seen by at least two people at a clinic in Sousa, one of IS’s last outposts, the New York Times reported.
‘Where a New Zealander is held by a terrorist organisation the Government takes all appropriate action to recover them. That is exactly what we have done here.’ On Sunday, The New York Times became the first media organisation to name Ms Akavi, ending a five-year media blackout. Dominik Stillhart, director of operations for the ICRC, said the organisation had decided to allow publication in the hope it might be possible to get new information on her whereabouts.‘We have not spoken publicly before today because from the moment Louisa and the others were kidnapped, every decision we made was to maximise the chances of winning their freedom,’ Mr Stillhart said in a statement.