Iran spoke for itself....Captives feared they would be executed
By Richard Savill
Last Updated: 12:54am BST 07/04/2007
telegraph.co.uk
Sailors' statement in full
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In pictures: The homecoming
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Your view: Has Iran succeeded in humiliating Britain?
The 15 British sailors and Marines captured by Iran were blindfolded, bound, held in solitary confinement and subjected to "constant psychological pressure" during their 13-day ordeal, they said.
Some of the group were lined up while weapons were cocked, making them fear they would be executed.
Left to right: Joe Tindell, Arthur Batchelor, Chris Air, Felix Carman, Adam Sperry and Simon Massey
At a news conference at the Royal Marines Barracks in Chivenor, Devon, Royal Marine Captain Chris Air, 25, and a colleague, Lieutenant Felix Carman, 26, from Swansea, read a statement.
Some of the group was lined up against a wall. Lt Carman recalled: "We were bound, hands behind our backs, blindfolds on, and then shoved up against a wall. I could see people's feet under my blindfold.
"One of the lads heard weapons being cocked. He freaked out and dropped to the floor. He was screaming: 'Lads they are going to execute us.' Somehow I undid my hands from behind my back, pulled my blindfold off. There were guys with weapons there but it didn't look like a firing squad. They were just playing with their weapons."
He added: "That was the worst moment. There was a lot of trickery and mind games being played."
advertisementMarine Joe Tindell, 21, from south London, told BBC News 24 last night: "We had a blindfold and plastic cuffs, hands behind our backs, heads against the wall. There were weapons cocking. Someone - I'm not sure who - said, I quote 'lads, lads I think we're going to get executed'.
"After that comment someone was sick and as far as I was concerned he had just had his throat cut. From there we were rushed to a room, quick photo and then stuffed into a cell and didn't see or speak to anyone for six days."
Marine Tindell said: "The Iranians told us that some of the others had confessed and got more privileges.
The group said that after their detention they arrived at a small naval base. Lt Carman said: "Two hours later we were moved to a second location and throughout the night were subjected to random interrogations. The questions were aggressive and the handling rough, but it was no worse than that.
"The following morning we were flown to Teheran and transported to a prison where the atmosphere changed completely. We were blindfolded, our hands were bound and we were forced up against a wall. Throughout our ordeal we faced constant psychological pressure.
"We were interrogated most nights, and presented with two options. If we admitted we had strayed, we would be on a plane back to the UK soon. If we didn't we faced up to seven years in prison.
"We all at one time or another made a conscious decision to make a controlled release of non-operational information."
Lt Carman said they were on a routine operation when they boarded a merchant vessel in an area south of the Shatt Al Arab waterway. Captain Air said they saw two speedboats approaching rapidly. "I ordered everyone to make their weapons ready and ordered the boarding party to return to the boats," he said.
"By the time all were back on board, two Iranian boats had come alongside. I explained that we were conducting a routine operation, as allowed under a UN mandate. "But when we tried to leave, they prevented us by blocking us in."
The group responded to criticisms that they surrendered too easily. Capt Air said: "Let me be absolutely clear. From the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option.
"Had we chosen to do so then many of us would not be standing here today."
The only woman detainee, Ldg Seaman Faye Turney, 26, from Plymouth, Devon, was separated from the rest of the group from the start.
She was praised by Air who said: "Being an Islamic country, Faye was subjected to different rules than we were. She was separated from us as soon as she arrived and was under the impression for about four days that she was the only one there.
"She was subjected to quite a lot of stress that we ultimately didn't know about. She coped admirably and retained a lot of dignity.
"Coming home to her family has been a great relief and she just wants to have some time with them now out of the spotlight because like all of us, she's been exploited."
The three other former detainees who took part in the press conference were Operator Maintainer Arthur Batchelor, 20, from Plymouth, Devon; Marine Adam Sperry, 22, from Leicester; and Operator Maintainer Simon Massey.
Lieutenant Felix Carman: "We were bound, hands behind our backs, blindfolds on and then shoved up against a wall. One of the lads heard weapons being cocked. He was screaming: 'Lads, they are going to execute us' ."
Marine Joe Tindell: "Someone was sick and as far as I was concerned he had just had his throat cut.
"The Iranians told us that some of the others had confessed and got more privileges."
Royal Marine Captain Chris Air: "Let me be absolutely clear, from the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option.
"We were not prepared to fight a heavily armed force who, it is our impression, came out deliberately into Iraqi waters to take us prisoner."
Operator Maintainer Arthur Batchelor: "I really thought we were going to die. They kept us blindfolded and we could hear them holding their weapons. Not knowing anything for six days, I was getting to breaking point. We finally got to see Faye. At the worst times, Faye and Lt Carman were like my mother and father. |
