Iran Media Coverage of Detained UK Naval Personnel 0430 Gmt 30 Mar 07

Mar 30, 04:02 AM

Current Headlines: The following report is based on the broadcast media and news agencies monitored from 1400 gmt on 29 March to 0430 gmt on 30 March for their coverage of the arrested British navy crew in the Islamic Republic. No newspapers are published in Iran on Fridays; therefore no press coverage is included. Although the issue has gained momentum in the Iranian media, traffic, weather and fruit prices continued to top news headlines.

TV

IRINN (news channel)- The news channel regularly covered the issue. It broadcast the interview with security chief Ali Larijani round the clock. (Processed as: Iran security chief says "arrogant gestures" may delay female sailor's release) It also carried a report on the British government's reaction to the issue. At 1503 gmt it carried a report on Colonel Setareh who explained the position of the British navy vessels in Arvand River [Shatt al- Arab] as registered by the GPS seized from the British boat crew. He said: "On Friday 3 Farvardin 1386, 23 March 2007, two British boats violated the Iranian water borders. Ultimately, these sailors were arrested at this spot [Commander shows the spot on a map]. After reading the information on their navigation equipment - the GPS seized from them - it was revealed that they had already violated the water borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran at these spots marked on the map. They were ultimately stopped and arrested at this spot." (Processed as: Commander shows British GPS, says sailors entered Iran waters in several spots)

IRVT1 (Channel 1)- The 1730 gmt bulletin devoted its top five reports to the detained British navy personnel. Nuclear chief Larijani expressed in an interview his disappointment at the reaction and approach of the British officials regarding the incident. It further showed colonel Setareh explaining the position of the British marines on a map. The third item in the bulletin reported Foreign Minister Mottaki reiterating that requests for visiting the detained sailors will be considered after the completion of the initial investigations. He also said: "The British should admit that there was an aggression. This will help us follow up the next stages of the issue faster in a bid to solve it." (Processed as: Consular access to UK sailors to be available after initial investigation Iran) The Foreign Ministry spokesman's objection to European countries' interference in the case came as fourth item in the bulletin (processed as: European intervention in British sailors' case unacceptable - Iranian spokesman) followed by the protests by students demanding government to put the British navy personnel on trial. (Processed as: Protesting Iranian students call for trial of British sailors agency) The bulletin also reported the Iranian consulate being attacked by British troops in Basra. (Processed as: Iran consulate-general in Basra attacked by British forces agency)

IRTV2 (Channel 2)- The 1900 gmt bulletin carried the same news items reported earlier on Channel 1 leading with the news of a telephone conversation between President Ahmadinezhad and the Turkish prime minister who requested permission for the Turkish ambassador to visit the detainees and the release of the only female British marine. (Processed as: Iran president to consider Turkey's request to release UK female marine)

Al-Alam - The Arabic-language Iranian Al-Alam TV also continued to cover the story in all its news programmes, albeit 13 minutes into the bulletins. At 2134 gmt, it carried a report on the second letter by Faye Turney (processed as: Al-Alam TV reports on alleged second letter by UK woman sailor held in Iran). It also carried reports on the Iranian consulate-general being under siege of British forces in Basra (Processed as: Al-Alam TV correspondent says Iranian Basra consulate incident "provocation"). The TV also reported an interview given by Deputy Commander Ali Reza Afshar to the Mehr News Agency, highlighting the following: "Deputy Commander Ali Reza Afshar has said that the solution to the detention of the British navy personnel in Iran lies in the British giving an apology and an undertaking to stop trespassing on Iranian territorial waters." Mehr had carried this quote at the bottom of its report.

Radio

The radio, in its 1630 gmt bulletin carried Larijani's remarks where he said "furore" could delay the release of the female British sailors. It then covered the story of the siege of the Iranian consulate-general in Basra by British forces and said that Iran had officially protested to the Iraqi government in that regard.

The 2030 gmt news bulletin gave prominence to weather, price of petrol and fruit, and the nuclear issue as its first, second and third items. It then reported the foreign minister's comments on the British navy personnel, the interview with Larijani, the Foreign Ministry spokesman's objection to EU's reaction and a complaint filed at the UN as well as an attack on the Iranian consulate in Iraq as its subsequent news items.

At 0430 gmt on 30 March the radio still covered fruit prices and weather as priority news items, although the president's conversation with the Turkish prime minister was on top of news headlines. Nine minutes into the bulletin, the radio started covering the UK sailors story with a four-minute roundup of the day's developments. The stories included Ahmadinezhad's telephone conversation with the Turkish prime minister, Mottaki's remarks upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia as well as Iran's reaction to the UK's protest at the UNSC.

Agencies

The agencies produced regular updates on the row. The Fars News Agency and IRNA reported on the latest developments plus the reactions by Britain and other countries on the crisis. (Processed from IRNA: Iran gives British ambassador Note Verbale, says will file complaint at UN; European intervention in British sailors' case unacceptable - Iranian spokesman) (Processed from Fars: British envoy holds talks with Iranian Foreign Ministry over detained sailors; Britain bent on creating disturbances in Middle East - Iranian MP; Iran consulate-general in Basra attacked by British forces agency; Iran foreign minister calls news of female marine's release a misquote- agency) ILNA gave the same prominence to the British detainees as it did to the nuclear issue. (Processed from ILNA: Iran students call for execution of British sailors agency). ISNA had most of its reports on the British navy personnel later in the day. (Processed from ISNA: Protesting Iranian students call for trial of British sailors agency; Iran releases text of Faye Turney's "letter" to her family agency)

Newspapers

Only one daily was published today which did not contain any reports on the detained British sailors.

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