James Foley, a 1996 Marquette alumnus, called home Saturday afternoon for the first time since being captured by Qaddafi forces in Libya, according to a report by GlobalPost.

Foley, 37, who was working as a freelance journalist for GlobalPost, was captured outside the city of Brega on April 5. He was traveling with Libyan rebels and reporting on the situation there since mid-March. He is currently being held in a Tripoli detention center.

According to a press release, he told his mother in the phone call that he was doing fine, was eating and drinking and that he had a bed to sleep in. Additionally, Foley said he was being treated well and expressed his gratitude to the people working on his release.

His mother, Diane Foley, told GlobalPost that she was “relieved” to hear from her son.

John Foley said in the press release that they want their son to come home.

“He is an innocent journalist, and we are hoping for his immediate release,” he said.

Foley is being detained with Manu Brabo, a Spanish journalist who also was captured with him and two other journalists. Foley told his mother that those two talk often.

A report by The Atlantic revealed Foley’s call came two days after another captured reporter, Clare Gillis, was allowed to call home for 15 minutes. Gillis told her parents she is doing well.

Gillis’ parents told The Atlantic they are hopeful this is the first step by the Libyan government in letting her come home.

Rick Byrne, director of communications and marketing for GlobalPost, said in an e-mail that until the point that Gillis called, there had been no official sources providing details about the journalists being detained.

He said they are continuing to work closely with The Atlantic, USA Today, Human Rights Watch, The Committee to Protect Journalists and the U.S. State Department and Turkish government to ensure a safe release of the journalists.

“We have a team here that has been focused on this essentially around the clock since we were notified that they were taken prisoner,” Byrne said.

Human Rights Watch, an organization that works to protect human rights around the world, is working hard to get the news out about the four journalists. It’s also urging the Libyan government to release information of all 15 journalists being held.

“Our job is to publicize the case and to press the Libyan government for (the journalists’) immediate release,” said Fred Abrahams, emergencies researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Unfortunately, the points of leverage Muammar Qaddafi are weak — he is holding firm and not letting them go.”

Foley’s parents have created a website, freefoley.org, to keep people informed about the on-going situation. They urge people to help by signing a petition, contacting U.S. representatives and pressing the media to keep the situation in the public eye.

“There is no blueprint in these situations to move things along,” Byrne said. “We are doing our best to keep the visibility up and the lines of communication open with all proper channels that may be able to influence a safe release as soon as possible.”

Marquette is holding a prayer vigil for Foley tonight at 6 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union Chapel of the Holy Family.