Colin Freeman

Telegraph journalist Freeman, who was previously kidnapped by pirates in Somalia, says Cantlie has been portrayed as an ‘adrenalin junkie’ for returning to Syria after his first kidnapping, but says this isn’t true. He says Cantlie sent a message before going back into Syria expressing concern that the paper would see him as reckless, but says as a professional front-line correspondent, Syria is where his job was:

The John I know is aware of the dangers all too well, but chose to face them in order to document the brutality of the Assad regime first hand…I doubt John even saw it as much of a choice: in his view, he was simply going back to work.