Torture? It's all a laugh now for "Mr Bean"...

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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Torture? It's all a laugh now for Mr Bean ...

By GEOFFREY LAKEMAN and DANIEL BOFFEY

21st April 2007

Iran hostage Arthur Batchelor's admission that he cried himself to sleep after his captors likened him to Mr Bean and stole his iPod was scorned as a national embarrassment.

Yet just days after a barrage of criticism for selling his story, the 20-year-old reveals just how little he has learned from the whole debacle.

This picture shows the Operator Mechanic staging a tasteless re-enactment of his 13 days in captivity as he celebrates his home-coming in a Plymouth nightclub. He laughs as he pretends to be held at gunpoint, his ordeal - and his fellow servicemen's vitriolic response to his behaviour - seemingly a long way from his mind.



MOCKERY: Iran hostage Arthur Batchelor - dubbed "Mr Bean" by the Iranians due to his likeness to the dopey BBC character - on his release and, below, with a friend at a nightclub


With a 'blindfold' round Batchelor's eyes, a friend points pistol-shaped fingers to the 5ft 2in serviceman's head. In another picture Batchelor, with alcohol stains on his yellow shirt, has his head held back by a toy rifle placed across his neck.

In a further shot, Batchelor wears a woman's camisole as he poses with three female clubbers.

Batchelor, along with 14 other Navy personnel, was seized by Iranian forces as he boarded a ship in waters between Iran and Iraq. He was blindfolded when taken to Iran and during his initial interrogation, in which he was taunted as looking like Mr Bean.

Batchelor's blindfold 'joke' will be regarded as particularly insensitive because it evokes memories of videos of Westerners being held captive in Iraq.

The pictures of Batchelor's drunken performance just over a week ago were posted by friends on Jester nightclub's website.

Batchelor has apologised for hawking his story for an alleged five-figure sum and Defence Secretary Des Browne has also admitted a mistake in allowing Batchelor and Leading Seaman Faye Turney, 26, to sell their stories. Batchelor received particular criticism from military personnel for his upset over the Iranians taking his iPod, a gift from his barmaid girlfriend and containing their special song.

He is believed to be returning to HMS Cornwall a week on Monday.



READERS' COMMENTS

Immature? Sure, but pretty normal considering what this young man has experienced. The British Navy hired him as a sailor and not as an Ambassador. Get over it.


- John, LA, CA USA
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I am proud of him for finding humor. This is (or used to be!) a fine British tradition. Now you wimpy nanny-staters are all upset because someone makes a joke! Grow up, and God bless that boy!


- Wwe, Palo Alto, CA USA
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What is really disgraceful is the cowardly way Tony Blair handled this entire situation. A young man acting stupid in a bar? I can't imagine.


- Bill, Baltimore, USA
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He is a 20 year old kid who has been through a pretty harrowing experience.


Do you really want him to stay at home and wallow in self-pity? He is dealing with the situation as servicemen have for ages - drinking too much and making light of the situation. After all - he went through the experience, not you, all you judgemental hawks - so cut him some slack!


Nobody would have been any the wiser had your sneaky hacks been snooping around looking for an opportunity for a grubby story.


- Dorsetdan, Poole, UK

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Zzarchov

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Aug 28, 2006
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Lets be fair here, the guys a teenage sailor, not a stoic diplomat. I also , despite the sounds, wouldn't judge too harshly about the iPod thing, there is a big difference between someone picking up your iPod and walking away with it, and someone sticking a gun in your mouth , kicking you few times and taking all your stuff before locking you in a dark room, and being upset that something your girlfriend gave you was taken.