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Kidnapped student's family remain positive

Mr Sooden's brother-in-law, Mark Brewer, said today the family continued to be optimistic he would be released, but there had been little news since they received video footage of him in late January.

"Effectively there's been no word, no movement and even the rumours have slowed down, so it's a very frustrating time," Mr Brewer told National Radio.

Mr Sooden, a Canadian citizen who lived and studied in New Zealand, was captured along with three others from a Christian peace organisation in November last year.

Vigils were held in Britain and Canada yesterday to mark the 100th day of captivity for Mr Sooden, Canadian James Loney, American Tom Fox and Norman Kember of Britain.

Mr Brewer said efforts to free Mr Sooden, 32, had continued unabated since the first day of his capture.

"We've had Canadian and New Zealand officials talking to us from time to time, although admittedly that's slowed down in the last two or three weeks.

"From our perspective, we just want to keep the momentum on to make sure they do keep trying to contact and get this thing resolved."

Mr Brewer's wife, Mr Sooden's sister Preety, said yesterday it was difficult to believe 100 days had passed since he was kidnapped in Iraq.

"It's amazing it's been so long already, I just can't believe it."

She said the family had heard "absolutely nothing" of Mr Sooden since they received video footage of him in late January.

"We're just waiting and hoping."

Mr Brewer said the family was going through a traumatic time, but was trying to remain positive.

"Hope remains high, but the overriding feeling is frustration. We just want to bring this thing to an end, to get Harmeet home."

He said the vigils held yesterday had given the family "a lot of strength and hope".

"But what people don't realise is that for the family, every day is a vigil. Every day we wake up and talk about him and think how we're going to get this thing resolved. It just keeps going."

Mr Sooden's captors have said they will kill the four men if all Iraqi detainees are not released from prisons. Muslim clerics and political leaders from around the world have called on the kidnappers to release the men unharmed.

The four men, volunteers for Christian Peacemaker Teams, were in Iraq attempting to document human rights abuses in the wake of the US-led war in Iraq.