Dublin-born British-Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan, who was kinapped a month ago, is believed to have been killed.
Her husband, Tahsin Hassan, said he had been told a video existed which appears to show his wife being killed.
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, in a statement tonight, said British experts had been examining a video which appeared to show that Margaret Hassan has been murdered, to establish whether it was genuine.
'As a result of our analysis,' Mr Straw said, 'we have today had to inform Margaret Hassan's family that, sadly, we now believe that she has probably been murdered.'
Margaret's brother and sisters said they had kept hoping for as long as they could, but now had to accept that Margaret had probably gone and at last her suffering was ended.
President McAleese said she was greatly saddened by the reports, and praised Ms Hassan's love and devotion to the Iraqi people.
The Taoiseach and the Fine Gael leader expressed their dismay and revulsion at the reported killing, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his 'abhorrence'.
Mrs Hassan, who had Irish, British and Iraqi nationality and had lived in Baghdad for some 30 years, was seized on 19 October on her way to work at Care International, the charity where she was country director.
