Iran says freeing 15 Britons as a 'gift'

Tehran, Apr 4: Iran's president said today Iran was releasing 15 detained British naval personnel as a ''gift to the British people'' and urged London not to punish them for saying they had entered Iranian territory.

''They are free after this meeting and can go back to their families,'' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference.

''I ask Mr Blair not to punish the soldiers with the charge of accepting and telling the truth,'' he said in reference to taped ''confessions'' of the 15 sailors and marines saying they had entered Iranian waters.

Britain, which criticised the broadcasts, insists its personnel were in Iraqi waters when seized on March 23.

''Under the influence of the Muslim Prophet (Iran) forgives these 15 people and gives their freedom to the British people as a gift,'' Ahmadinejad said.

Earlier he had awarded a medal to an Iranian naval commander for detaining the Britons and said he regretted that London was ''not brave enough to confess its mistake over entering Iranian waters.''

Reuters