Freelance writer of The Christian Science Monitor, Jill Carroll, is seen in this September 5, 2005 handout photo taken in an unknown location.(Photo:China Daily/Reuters/file)

BEIJING, Jan.20 -- The mother of kidnapped American reporter Jill Carroll pleaded for her release on Thursday a day before a deadline set by her daughter's captors was due to expire.

    Mary Beth Carroll said the kidnappers had "picked the wrong person" because her daughter "has worked so hard to show the sufferings of Iraqis to the world."

    "So I, her father and her sister are appealing directly to her captors to release this young woman who has worked so hard to show the suffering of Iraqis to the world. Jill has always show the highest respect for the Iraqi people and their customs. We hope her captors will show Jill the same respect in return." said she.

    Mary Beth Carroll's appeal came 12 days after her daughter was abducted in one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighbourhoods while on her way to interview a Sunni political leader.

    On Tuesday, Carroll's captors threatened to kill her if US authorities didn't release all Iraqi women in military custody by Friday night, in a video aired by Arabic channel Al Jazeera.

    Jill Carroll, aged 28, who grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was working as freelance journalist for The Christian Science Monitor when she was abducted on January 7.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)