Kember Shown in New Video

Norman Kember, the peace activist held in Iraq for more than three months, is one of three hostages shown in a brief videotape broadcast on al-Jazeera television today.

He was kidnapped in November along with two Canadians and an American colleague from the organization Christian Peacemaker Teams. This is the first confirmation that Mr. Kember is still alive since late January.

Sue Claydon, a friend of Mr. Kember, described the video as "very encouraging". She told Sky News: "He knows that he’s being supported around the world from all faiths and none."

The video carried a February 28 date stamp and showed three men sitting in chairs and talking, although there was no audio.

One of those on the tape had white hair and a slight beard, while the two others had dark hair and full beards.

They were kidnapped by a previously unknown organization called the Swords of Righteousness Brigades on November 26.

Maxine Nash, a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Baghdad, said the missing man was American Tom Fox, 54, of Virginia.

He and Mr. Kember, 74, from London, along with Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were last seen in a videotape broadcast by al-Jazeera on January 28 and dated the previous week.

In that broadcast, the presenter said the hostage-takers issued a statement saying it was the "last chance" for US and Iraqi authorities to "release all Iraqi prisoners in return of freeing the hostages otherwise their fate will be death". No deadline was set.

Until today, there had been no further word on the fate of the hostages.

According to the tape, the men have asked their governments and countries in the Persian Gulf to work for their release.

Mr. Kember’s 100th day of captivity was marked with prayers and an hour-long vigil in Trafalgar Square, London, on Sunday.

Christian Peacemaker Teams, based in Chicago, has been working in Iraq since October 2002, investigating allegations of abuse against Iraqi detainees by American and Iraqi forces.