Angelina Jolie Renews Her Plea For Release Of Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls

Actress Angelina Jolie renewed her plea for the release of more than 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, during the red-carpet event promoting her new film, “Maleficent,” in London on Thursday.

The 38-year-old actress, who plays a villain in Disney’s new film, said that it was "heart-warming" to hear reporters' questions about the abducted girls at a movie event, which reflects the people’s concern.

"The important thing though is to understand that this happens because these men think they can get away with this and they can do this," Jolie told reporters, according to Reuters.

"We have to start arresting people for this, we have to start bringing them to justice and we have to start making it an absolute crime that puts fear in these men so that they think twice about this kind of action."

The actress, who serves as a U.N. special envoy for refugees, also reportedly slammed the terrorist group while recently speaking at a Paris press conference for the promotion of the film, calling the act of abduction as an “unthinkable cruelty.”

"Sadly, of course, there is real evil in the world. You watch the news and you see all of the people suffering and so much cruelty," Jolie reportedly said.

Jolie is also among the stars using the #BringBackOurGirls campaign on social media, which demands the release of the young girls. U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and Pakistani schoolgirl and human rights activist Malala Yousafzai are among those backing the online campaign. Justin Timberlake, Forest Whitaker, Gabrielle Union and Joan Smalls are also some of the celebs who have lent their voices to the cause.

On April 14, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a school in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state. About 50 of the girls were able to escape, and the rest are still missing.

In a video posted online, the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, vowed to sell the girls into slavery.

"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah ... Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions."

Goodluck Jonathan, the president of Nigeria, has accepted foreign aid from the U.S. government to help locate the missing girls.

Here are some of the tweets by celebrities supporting the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.