Giuliana Sgrena appeared Wednesday in one of  those awful videotapes, begging for her life to be saved.

An excerpt from the CTV.ca story:

"You must end the occupation, it's the only way we can get out of this situation," Sgrena said in the videotape, obtained by Associated Press Television News.

Rocking back and forth, Sgrena appeared alone in the brief footage, only her shadow visible on a white background behind her. In the upper left corner of the image, the words "Mujahedeen Without Borders" appeared in digital red Arabic script.

"I ask the Italian government, the Italian people struggling against the occupation, I ask my husband, please, help me," Sgrena said in French.

"You must do all you can to end the occupation. I'm counting on you, you can help me."

The 56-year-old reporter for the communist daily Il Manifesto was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in a hail of gunfire on Feb. 4 near Baghdad University.