Vatican City, Jul 20, 2016 / 05:49 am
After a photo supposedly showing Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, who was kidnapped in Yemen in March, emerged on social media, sources close to the priest say there are strong reasons to doubt the image's authenticity.
"I have checked with a confrere with (the) Yemen experience and very close to Fr. Tom who shares my doubts about the authenticity of the photo," a credible source close to the situation but who preferred to remain anonymous told CNA July 20.
"We simply do not have any verified news about (it), although I am convinced that Fr. Tom is alive."
The comments come after a photo portraying an unshaven, tired-looking Indian man was published to Facebook, claiming that it was Fr. Tom and that an "entreaty," or "plea" would be uploaded soon, according to Indian news agency The News Minute.