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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| BBC's Johnston arrives back in UK | BBC's Johnston arrives back in UK |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Freed BBC reporter Alan Johnston has arrived back in the UK after being held hostage in Gaza. | Freed BBC reporter Alan Johnston has arrived back in the UK after being held hostage in Gaza. |
| Johnston, 45, touched down at London's Heathrow Airport at about 1230 BST (1130 GMT) on a flight from Tel Aviv. | Johnston, 45, touched down at London's Heathrow Airport at about 1230 BST (1130 GMT) on a flight from Tel Aviv. |
| Later, he travelled to Scotland to be reunited with his parents at Lochgoil in Argyll. | |
| Johnston was handed over to Palestinian militant movement Hamas in Gaza City on Wednesday after being held for 114 days by the Army of Islam group. | Johnston was handed over to Palestinian militant movement Hamas in Gaza City on Wednesday after being held for 114 days by the Army of Islam group. |
| He had been taken at gunpoint on 12 March while on his way home in Gaza. | He had been taken at gunpoint on 12 March while on his way home in Gaza. |
| At one point during his captivity he had been kept in chains for 24 hours, but he said he had not been harmed physically until the last half hour of his captivity, when his captors roughed him up "a bit". | At one point during his captivity he had been kept in chains for 24 hours, but he said he had not been harmed physically until the last half hour of his captivity, when his captors roughed him up "a bit". |
| I literally dreamed many times of being free and always woke up back in that room Alan Johnston | I literally dreamed many times of being free and always woke up back in that room Alan Johnston |
| Johnston said he had been able to see the sun in the first month, but was then kept in a shuttered room until a week before his release. | Johnston said he had been able to see the sun in the first month, but was then kept in a shuttered room until a week before his release. |
| He said he had not been tortured during captivity, but he did fall ill from the food he was served. | He said he had not been tortured during captivity, but he did fall ill from the food he was served. |
| Johnston, who has spent the last few days at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, said he was looking forward to seeing his family in Argyll, and apologised for bringing turmoil to their lives. | Johnston, who has spent the last few days at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, said he was looking forward to seeing his family in Argyll, and apologised for bringing turmoil to their lives. |
| Shortly after his release, he appeared with a cleanly-shaven head, saying one of his first acts was "going to the barbers and getting rid of that just-kidnapped look". | Shortly after his release, he appeared with a cleanly-shaven head, saying one of his first acts was "going to the barbers and getting rid of that just-kidnapped look". |
| 'Normal life' | 'Normal life' |
| Rallies worldwide had called for his release and an online petition was signed by some 200,000 people. | Rallies worldwide had called for his release and an online petition was signed by some 200,000 people. |
| Johnston said he had been comforted by efforts to free him, which he knew about because he had access to the BBC World Service on the radio for much of his confinement. | Johnston said he had been comforted by efforts to free him, which he knew about because he had access to the BBC World Service on the radio for much of his confinement. |
| He described the experience as frightening "because I didn't know how it was going to end", but said he had never considered escape as a real possibility. | He described the experience as frightening "because I didn't know how it was going to end", but said he had never considered escape as a real possibility. |
| Johnston said that during his captivity "it became quite hard to imagine normal life again". | Johnston said that during his captivity "it became quite hard to imagine normal life again". |
| "The last 16 weeks have been the very worst of my life," he added. | "The last 16 weeks have been the very worst of my life," he added. |
| "I was in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable. | "I was in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable. |
| "I literally dreamed many times of being free and always woke up back in that room." | "I literally dreamed many times of being free and always woke up back in that room." |