Hassan al-Sajdi is a journalist, allegedly of German citizenship. His identity remains unverified at this time. His kidnapping was discovered when an undated tape was dropped off at Baghdad's Time magazine office. The exact date of the abduction is unknown.

In the tape, Mr. al-Sajdi identifies himself by name and as a German citizen while one of his captors points a gun at his head. The video shows a press card and a passport, but the documents are difficult to read. The kidnappers also demand that the German government release all Muslims in Germany and sever ties with the Iraqi government. It is unclear what the former demand refers to.