Ray of hope for British sailors

2007-04-03 11:16

Prashant Rao

London - Fifteen British sailors began their 12th day in captivity in Iran on Tuesday as both London and Tehran toned down their rhetoric amid small signs of progress in negotiating their freedom.

Britain gained a glimmer of hope in its efforts to free the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven marines after a top Iranian official said the standoff could be resolved without a trial.

Iran also said that because of an unspecified shift in London's stance, it was holding back from airing confessions it had obtained from the 15, who have been held since Iranian forces seized them in the Gulf on March 23.

Ali Larijani, the head of the supreme national security council, on Monday said that there was "no need" to put the group on trial, describing the stand-off as "quite resolvable".

"Definitely our priority is to solve the problem through proper diplomatic channels. We are not interested in having this issue get further complicated," Larijani told Britain's Channel Four television.

"We definitely believe this issue can be resolved. And there is no need for any trial."

He also criticised the European Union, claiming it had "started to condemn Iran without knowing the facts" over the group's capture.

Preference for 'bilateral discussions'

A British foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP on Monday that London shared Larijani's preference for "early bilateral discussions".

Also on Monday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the "rhetoric should be toned down".

Ban called for the release of the 14 men and one woman, and told reporters in New York that he had appealed to Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki to ensure that "this issue should be resolved as soon as possible through political, diplomatic consultations".

Hours before Larijani's comments, Iranian state television said that all 15 sailors had given "frank confessions," admitting to illegally entering its waters, and broadcast new pictures of the group apparently admitting to their error.

Britain maintains that the group were carrying out routine anti-smuggling operations in Iraqi waters.

- AFP