The mother of an American journalist held hostage by Islamic State has issued a public appeal for his release. Steven Sotloff was kidnapped while covering the conflict in Syria last year. He can be seen in the video Islamic State released earlier this month of its beheading of another American journalist, James Foley. In a taped message, Shirley Sotloff made a direct plea to the head of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Shirley Sotloff: “Since Steven’s capture, I have learned a lot about Islam. I’ve learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others. Steven has no control over the actions of the U.S. government. He’s an innocent journalist. I’ve also learned that you, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you to please release my child. As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over.”