British captives paraded blindfolded on Iranian TV
Iran tonight ratcheted up the pressure in the growing diplomatic crisis over the detention of eight Royal Navy sailors, parading them blindfolded on state-run television.
Downing Street warned Tehran that it expected the men to be treated in accordance with international law after the pictures were broadcast on the official Arab-language Al-Aram station.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said they were “extremely concerned” about the development and would be raising the matter with the Iranians “at the appropriate level”.
Further television pictures tonight showed two of the captured men – not blindfolded this time – apparently confessing to the intrusion into Iranian waters and apologising for the incident.
Earlier UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw intervened personally with his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharazzi, to appeal for the men’s release while the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office for an explanation.
There were conflicting signals tonight from Tehran over how the authorities intended to deal with the men who were arrested yesterday after their patrol boats apparently strayed into Iranian territorial waters close to the Iraq border.
