Hassan died 'because UK refused to speak to kidnappers'

Irish aid worker Margaret Hassan, who was murdered in Iraq, died because the British government refused to speak to her kidnappers, her family claimed today.

The Care International worker was taken hostage in October 2004 and killed just under a month later. Her body has never been found.

Today her family said that during her captivity four calls were made to her Iraqi husband Tahseen in Baghdad from the kidnappers, demanding to speak to a member of the British Embassy.

But he had been told by the British that they would not speak to the hostage-takers.

“We believe that the refusal by the British government to open a dialogue with the kidnappers cost our sister her life,” Deidre, Geraldine, Kathryn and Michael Fitzsimons said in a statement released today.