Charity worker's husband pleads for her release

The husband of Margaret Hassan today pleaded for her captors to free her.

The charity worker, who has dual British and Iraqi nationality, was snatched in Baghdad on Monday.

Today her Iraqi husband Tahsin Ali Hassan told of his fear at her capture and appealed "in the name of humanity, Islam and brotherhood" for her to be released.

"I'm really very afraid," said Mr Hassan. "I don't know who these people are. If they were good people, she would talk to them because she is very kind and understanding.

"She has done Iraq no harm, she is here just for humanitarian reasons."

Mr Hassan, who met his wife when she was a social worker in London in the Seventies, said her driver and bodyguard had been badly beaten up when she was seized near her Care International offices. He added: "So suddenly, it happened. I didn't sleep last night and I won't sleep tonight. I cannot believe it is true."

Mrs Hassan appeared later on a video shown by Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera. "I hated to see that," said Mr Hassan. "I don't want to see it again. I don't think they have hurt her. Even people like this will treat her well because she is a woman. But it is so sad to see her being humiliated in this way."

Yesterday Care International reacted to Mrs Hassan's kidnap by shutting its Baghdad operation.