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More on the Iranian Seizure of the British Sailors and Marines

More on the Iranian Seizure of the British Sailors and Marines

Mar-29-07 09:19 am

The British Royal Navy released this map on the location of the British sailors and marines. It was reprinted in today's New York Times.

It thus seems by Iran's own admission-- at least initially-- that the British sailors and marines were with in Iraqi territorial waters.

It also seems that Iran has now violated the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Showing a video on Iranian television of the prisoners seems to violate Article 13 of the Convention, which provides:

prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.

Al Alam, via Associated Press

It also appears that one person was forced to make a statement admitting to a violation of Iranian waters. The Times explains:

One of the captured sailors, Leading Seaman Faye Turney, 26 — the only woman among the 15 Britons — was shown wearing a black head scarf and saying, “Obviously we trespassed into their waters” and praising her captors as “very friendly, very hospitable and very thoughtful, nice people.”

“There was no hurt or harm,” Seaman Turney said in the television report. “They were very, very compassionate.”

Leading Seaman Faye Turney
Al Alam, via Agence France-Presse

If Seaman Turney had been coerced to make this statement, that action would violate Article 17 of the Geneva Convention, which provides:

No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind. (emphasis added)

Tags: law of the sea prisoners of war

About the editor:

Anthony Clark Arend

Professor

Commentary and analysis at the intersection of international law and politics.

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» Learn more about the M.A. in International Law and Government at Georgetown University.

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