Britons held by Iran can sell stories to media

London, Apr 8: The 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran for 13 days will be allowed to sell their stories to the media, in a break with usual rules, Britain's Defence Ministry said.

Serving personnel were not normally allowed to sell their stories but the ministry decided to grant the 15 permission due to the huge media interest, said a ministry spokeswoman yesterday.

''These are considered to be exceptional circumstances,'' she said.

The spokeswoman said the 15, freed last Thursday after being seized by Iranian forces in the Shatt al-Arab waterway between Iraq and Iran, would be able to keep the money they received.

Media reports have said they could earn as much as 250,000 pounds between them.

Media organisations had already offered large sums to the families of the sailors and marines and the ministry felt letting the 15 sell their own stories was ''the most pragmatic thing to do'', the spokeswoman said.

The standoff over the 15 made daily headlines in Britain and around the world. Several of the sailors and marines, particularly the only woman among them, Faye Turney, became well known after they were shown on Iranian television.

Iran said the 15 were detained for entering its waters illegally. Britain said they were in Iraqi waters.

On their return to Britain, the sailors and marines said they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and told that they faced up to seven years in jail.

The decision to allow the 15 to sell their stories was criticised by some military commentators and politicians.

''It's just unprecedented,'' Colonel Bob Stewart, a former commander of British peacekeeping forces in Bosnia, told BBC television. Iran's seizure of the 15 was ''hardly one of the most glorious annals of royal naval history'', he said.

Nick Harvey, defence spokesman for the opposition Liberal Democrats, said the decision would ''raise eyebrows''.

''I sincerely hope this will not backfire into a loss of public sympathy for the service personnel. The ministry would be well advised to take a fresh look at the rules and consider whether they need revising,'' he said in a statement.

Reuters