BEIRUT -- Italian citizen Sergio Zanotti from Brescia has been a prisoner in Syria for seven months and was reported Tuesday by the Russian site Newsfront to be calling for the Italian government to “intervene” in order to “avoid his eventual execution” over a video where the hostage speaks directly to the camera.

 In the video you can see the hostage, with a beard and dressed in a white robe, kneeling outside between some olive trees. Behind him another man stands dressed in black with his face covered, pointing a machine gun at the Italian throughout the duration of the film.

 “My name is Sergio Zanotti,” says the hostage, speaking in Italian with a Brescia accent, “and for seven months I have been a prisoner here in Syria. I am asking the Italian government to intervene before my eventual execution.”

 The video, according to Italian investigative sources, has been circulating around the internet for the past week. Investigators, who are currently looking into the movements of the hostage, have found that Zanotti left Italy for Turkey a few months ago and has not been seen since (until now on video).

 The Italian authorities are investigating the case.

 sw