Faye Turney, 26, the only woman among the British navy personnel seized by Iran, appears on Iranian state-run television yesterday. The footage was broadcast by Al-Alam, an Arabic-language channel. AP

TEHERAN: Iran yesterday broadcast the first pictures of the 15 British sailors and marines who were seized last week, including a female captive who wore a white tunic and a black head scarf and said the British boats had "trespassed" in Iranian waters.

Britain immediately protested the airing of the footage, saying it was "completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on television".

"Obviously we trespassed into their waters," sailor Faye Turney, 26, said on the footage broadcast by Al-Alam, an Arabic-language, Iranian state-run television station that is carried across the Middle East by satellite. "They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we've been arrested, there was no harm, no aggression," she said.

Turney, sitting in a room with a floral background, was also shown in uniform eating with sailors and marines and at one point was shown smoking a cigarette with eyes downcast.

"My name is Leading Sailman Faye Turney. I come from England. I have served in Foxtrot 99. I've been in the navy for nine years," she said.

The video footage showed a brief scene of what appeared to be the British sailors sitting in an Iranian boat in open waters immediately after their capture.

It also showed what appeared to be a handwritten letter from Turney to her family. The letter said, in part, "I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering their waters." Turney was the only person to be shown speaking in the video.

Agencies

(China Daily 03/29/2007 page1)