Chad court sentences six French aid workers to eight years of hard labour
{{date|December 26, 2007}}
{{Chad}}A [[Chad|Chadian]] court today sentenced six [[France|French]] aid workers to eight years of [[w:Penal labour|hard labour]] for their role in a plot to kidnap 103 [[Africa|African]] children and fly them to France. The four men and two women have been in custody since October 25. They were also ordered to pay damages for each of the 103 children totaling the equivalent of [[w:United States dollar|US$]]9 million.

Two others, a Chadian and a Sudenese national, were each sentenced to four years, while two other Chadians were found not guilty.

The six French aid workers just sentenced belong to [[w:Zoe's Ark|''Zoe's Ark'']], a French charity, which had arranged for 103 children to be flown out of Chad, in what the charity described as an attempt to rescue them from the [[w:humanitarian crisis|humanitarian crisis]] created as a result of the neighbouring [[w:Darfur conflict|Darfur conflict]]. However, on Wednesday a Chadian court found the six aid workers guilty of attempting to kidnap the children. The [[w:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] had earlier revealed that many of the children involved were not orphans.

On November 4, seven associates of the aid workers were set free, having been exonerated of any wrongdoing in the affair.

Due to a 1976 agreement between France and Chad regarding judicial affairs, France has indicated it will press for the transfer of its nationals back to France to serve out their time in a French prison. "France, after obtaining the agreement of the members of Zoe's Ark, and examining the implementation of the judicial co-operation accord between France and Chad, in particular article 29, will ask the Chadian authorities for the transfer of the prisoners to France," said Pascale Andreani, spokesperson for the French foreign ministry.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title=Chad releases seven Europeans held in alleged kidnap plan|date=November 4, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Nine French nationals face kidnapping charges in Chad|date=October 30, 2007}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKL2628298620071226
|title=Chad sentences French to hard labour
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=December 26, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D5DC2FCF-8D5F-43A7-8D49-EBF5FF366B44.htm
|title=French aid workers get hard labour
|author=
|pub=Al Jazeera
|date=December 26, 2007}}

{{publish}}
{{archived}}
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Chad]]
[[Category:Darfur]]
[[Category:Sudan]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]]

[[es:Corte de Chad sentencia a seis trabajadores humanitarios franceses a 8 años de trabajo forzado]]
[[fr:Affaire de l'Arche de Zoé : la justice tchadienne a condamné les six français à huit ans de travaux forcés]]
A Chadian court today sentenced six French aid workers to eight years of hard labour for their role in a plot to kidnap 103 African children and fly them to France. The four men and two women have been in custody since October 25. They were also ordered to pay damages for each of the 103 children totaling the equivalent of US$9 million.

Two others, a Chadian and a Sudenese national, were each sentenced to four years, while two other Chadians were found not guilty.

The six French aid workers just sentenced belong to Zoe's Ark, a French charity, which had arranged for 103 children to be flown out of Chad, in what the charity described as an attempt to rescue them from the humanitarian crisis created as a result of the neighbouring Darfur conflict. However, on Wednesday a Chadian court found the six aid workers guilty of attempting to kidnap the children. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had earlier revealed that many of the children involved were not orphans.

On November 4, seven associates of the aid workers were set free, having been exonerated of any wrongdoing in the affair.

Due to a 1976 agreement between France and Chad regarding judicial affairs, France has indicated it will press for the transfer of its nationals back to France to serve out their time in a French prison. "France, after obtaining the agreement of the members of Zoe's Ark, and examining the implementation of the judicial co-operation accord between France and Chad, in particular article 29, will ask the Chadian authorities for the transfer of the prisoners to France," said Pascale Andreani, spokesperson for the French foreign ministry.


es:Corte de Chad sentencia a seis trabajadores humanitarios franceses a 8 años de trabajo forzado
fr:Affaire de l'Arche de Zoé : la justice tchadienne a condamné les six français à huit ans de travaux forcés
Crime and law Politics and conflicts Africa Chad Darfur Sudan Europe France United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees