UK mariners clips available soon

Tehran, 2007/04/11, IRIB

Documentary clips about arrest, interrogation and confessions of the British marines arrested by Iranian coast guards are being prepared and will be available to the public, Commander Alireza Afshar said in an interview with New Zealand Herald daily on Wednesday.

Islamic Republic of Iran released the British marines on Thursday 13 days after surrounding their boats in Iranian territorial waters in Arvand river.

During the arrest, several of the Britons were shown on IRI's official television saying they were sorry for entering Iranian waters illegally.

Afshar's statement did not say whether the documentary would contain any material not already shown.

The 14 marines and one woman said in a statement given at an official news conference after their return to England they had been blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and threatened with up to seven years in jail.

IRI has dismissed the news conference as "propaganda".

"Instead of thanking and welcoming the Islamic Republic for its clemency in pardoning them, the childish stage show ... once more displayed the British habit," Afshar said.

Britain's Ministry of Defence waived the rules this week barring serving military personnel from selling their stories to media because of huge public interest.

It revised that decision on Monday in the face of criticism, but not before several of the soldiers sold their stories.

Afshar said letting the sailors profit from the situation was a "scandal" for the British armed forces.

Video Link： http://www.iribnews.ir/PhotoGallery/Photo/_cccb864c.wmv

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