The elderly father of a British journalist being held by Islamic State (Isis) in Syria has died after making a moving appeal from his hospital bed for the release of his son John Cantlie.
Paul Cantlie, who recorded the impassioned video message after undergoing throat surgery, died on Thursday from complications following pneumonia, according to a family statement released on Tuesday night.
It added that the 81-year-old’s physical strength had been waning since the kidnap of his younger son nearly two years ago and the family had urgently tried to contact John over the last few days to let him know about his father’s death before it was made public.
The British photojournalist has been held prisoner by Isis militants for almost two years after entering Syria as a freelance journalist and has appeared in three online videos released by his captors. Wearing an orange jumpsuit like the prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, he has delivered propaganda messages in each film in a desperate bid to save his life.
The statement issued last night by the Cantlie family statement said: “Paul died not knowing whether John’s captors had received any of the messages he had sent to them.
“The failure of communication to date has inevitably led to a terrible sense of abandonment, particularly for John’s father, with the family feeling ignored. This burden has been especially hard these last few days, as we have so needed to tell John that his father, whom he so loved, has died.”
In a 3 October video message appealing for the release of his son, Cantlie said: “This is not how I would imagine spending my 81st year.” With his hand pressed to his throat, and speaking in a halting voice, he said he could think of “no greater joy than seeing him again”.
The family said last night that Paul Cantlie had been deeply concerned by the reluctance of the UK to intervene against the regime of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, “although like most, he was wary of making matters worse”.
It added: “He totally deplored what he and many others saw as an abuse of power by Tony Blair when the UK went into Iraq in 2003. With many others, he called for Tony Blair to be indicted for war crimes.”
The retired naval architect was the father of Jessica, Toby and his youngest child, John, and husband to his late wife, Carol.
His family added that he would be remembered by many for his fortitude, quiet courage, wry humour and keen intelligence, as well as for his great gentleness.
“As life became increasingly hard, these qualities shone ever more brightly and he leaves behind a steady beacon for Jessica, Toby, John Henry and the wider family to steer by as they struggle with the realities they all currently face.”
The middle son of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Cantlie and Phyllis (nee Gage-Brown), he and a brother were brought up in Nanking until the Japanese invasion during the second world war. His father was said to have designed much of the railway infrastructure throughout China.
Cantlie later served as a governor of Southampton General hospital, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sir James Cantlie, who was co-founder of the Hospital of Tropical Medicine in both London and in Hong Kong.
