’I love you both’: Hostage New Zealand pilot seen in fresh video from captors

A New Zealand pilot taken hostage in West Papua appeared gaunt and dishevelled as he sent a message to his family a year after his kidnapping. Philip Mark Mehrtens, who was abducted in February 2023 after landing his plane in the remote region of Nduga, told his wife and son he loved them and that he was “trying to stay positive”. He is being held by the West Papua Liberation Army, a rebel group who have repeatedly threatened to execute him unless the province is granted independence from Indonesia. Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and