Post by Salem6 on Apr 1, 2007 21:07:39 GMT
Iranian state television has aired new footage of two of the 15 Royal Navy personnel captured nine days ago.
Two of the captives were shown in front of a chart of the northern Gulf
They were shown separately standing in front of a chart of the northern Gulf where the sailors and marines were seized on March 23.
Iranian students earlier staged a protest in the capital Tehran against what they said was the "illegal entry" into their waters by the UK personnel.
The Foreign Office described showing the TV footage as "unacceptable".
In the TV footage, the two UK captives were shown talking to camera, but their voices could not be heard.
Official TV channel Al-Alam said the pair said they entered Iranian waters - something which the UK disputes.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "It's completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on television, given the potential to cause distress to their families."
'Under pressure'
Ex-Navy chief Admiral Sir Alan West told the BBC the UK personnel were under intense pressure.
"It's very unlikely that any of them would have had counter interrogation-type training which we give to people like aircrew and special forces when they go in," he said.
The footage was "a charade" set up for "internal show in Iran and other parts of the Arab world", he added.
Earlier in the day, about 200 people threw rocks and firecrackers at the British embassy in Tehran in protest against what they said was the illegal entry into Iranian waters of the navy personnel.
BBC correspondent Frances Harrison, who was outside the embassy when the missiles were thrown, said the students were hardliners from Tehran University.
The protesters, whose demonstration was allowed by the Iranian government, were chanting "death to Britain" and calling for the deportation of the British ambassador, she said.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6515995.stm