Doug Stanglin

USA TODAY

Two teachers — an American and an Australian — appeared in a Taliban video Wednesday for the first time since their abduction in Kabul five months ago to appeal to President-elect Donald Trump to negotiate their release, saying they will be killed if they are not freed soon.

It was the first time the two men, an American identified as Kevin King, and Timothy Weekes, have been seen since their kidnapping outside American University in the Afghan capital in August.

U.S. officials said in September that U.S. forces launched a rescue mission on their behalf, but the captives weren’t at the target location, the Associated Press reported.

The men, pale and unshaven, appear in the video together and separately to plead with the American government and the university to win their release. They also beg their families to put pressure on the U.S. government.

"The Taliban has been very patient," says Weekes. "Donald Trump, I ask you, please, this is in the your hands ... I ask you please to negotiate with the Taliban."

He adds: "I have asked Obama and now I ask you."

The video was sent to media Wednesday by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and was also posted online.

Distraught and frequently sobbing, the two men say the Taliban want to exchange them for Taliban fighters being held at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

Weekes, an English teacher, claims in the video that the university and the U.S. government "sent representatives to negotiate our exchange, but they have not been able to reach an agreement and we are still here."

In the video, they say they are speaking on Jan. 1 and warn the Taliban is running out of patience.

"If we stay here for much longer, we will be killed," says Weekes. "I don't want to die here. I am alone, and I am scared, I don't have anyone to help me, so please, please."

King, sporting a long beard, calls on his family to add their voice to the appeal. "We have been here for awhile and we haven't heard anything."