The 15 British sailors and marines detained in Iran for nearly 2 weeks have been formally pardoned and will be released immediately, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said today. The 14 men and one woman, detained March 23, would be released and taken to the airport as soon as his speech was over, he said, calling it a "gift" to Britain at Easter. The announcement was a distinct surprise, coming at the end of the president's hour-long address to reporters in Tehran, much of which consisted of complaints against the UK and the US.

After the press conference, Ahmadinejad met each of the captives, at least one of whom thanked the president profusely. A smiling Ahmadinejad wished the detainees luck. He had requested London not prosecute the detainees for apparently admitting they had in fact wandered into Iranian territorial waters.

In another development, Iran's official news agency said an Iranian representative was due to meet 5 Iranians detained by US forces in Irbil, Iraq, in January. Tehran says the men are diplomats; the US says they are Revolutionary Guards linked to “insurgents” in Iraq. It is not clear whether the visitation permission was granted in exchange for the release of Iran’s detainees.

Main Source: The Guardian