Sailors freed 'as Easter gift'

2007-04-04 16:24

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that his government would release the 15 detained British sailors and marines on Wednesday as an Easter season gift to the British people.

Ahmadinejad said the crew would be taken to Tehran airport for a flight out of Iran at the end of the press conference that he was addressing.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said it "welcomed" the move.

Iranian state television said in a news flash that the 15 British sailors watched Ahmadinejad's press conference live and were ecstatic when a translator told them what the president had said.

"On the occasion of the birthday of the great prophet (Muhammad) and for the occasion of the passing of Christ, I say the Islamic Republic government and the Iranian people - with all powers and legal right to put the soldiers on trial - forgave those 15," said Ahmadinejad, referring to the Muslim prophet's birthday last Saturday and Easter, next Sunday.

'Don't punish the crew'

"This pardon is a gift to the British people," he said.

Ahmadinejad asked British Prime Minister Tony Blair not to "punish" the crew for confessing that they had been in Iranian waters when they were seized by Iranian coast guard.

Iran broadcast videotapes of some of the crew giving confessions, infuriating Britain.

Moments before announcing the crew's imminent release, Ahmadinejad praised the Iranian coast guard members who seized the British on March 23.

He pinned a medal of bravery on the chest of their commander, who came on stage with two members of his crew.

End to the standoff

"On behalf of the great Iranian people, I want to thank the Iranian coast guard who courageously defended and captured those who violated their territorial waters," said Ahmadinejad, vowing that Iran will "not accept trespassing on its territorial waters."

In London, a spokesperson for Blair's office said, "We are looking at what has been said," but would not comment further. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with government policy.

The release of the 15 would bring to an end a standoff sparked when the crew was seized as it searched for smugglers off the Iraqi coast.

Britain denied Iranian claims the crew had entered Iranian waters.

'Humanitarian considerations'

Ahmadinejad said Iran was not seeking a "confrontation" when it intercepted the British, "but the deplorable conduct of the British government led to the prolonging of this incident."

Answering questions, Ahmadinejad said there was no link between the sailors' release and the release in Baghdad on Monday of an Iranian diplomat who was seized by gunmen wearing Iraqi military uniforms in January.

"If we had wanted to exchange Jalal Sharafi with the rest (the Britons) we would have exchanged him for 100 000. But we pardoned them," he said, adding the decision was "based on humanitarian considerations."

- AP