Chad:Seven Europeans held in Chad in connection with a French charity's attempt to illegally transport African children to Europe were yesterday flown out of the country on a plane with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The detainees - three French journalists and four Spanish air hostesses - were released after Mr Sarkozy flew into Chad's capital N'Djamena yesterday afternoon to discuss the case with Chadian president Idriss Deby.
"They are free. It's over. It's the end," said Jean-Bernard Padare, a lawyer for the seven.
They were among 17 Europeans charged in relation to the alleged abduction of 103 children by members of a French charity named Zoe's Ark. All 17 were arrested more than a week ago when police caught them boarding the children, some reportedly bandaged to appear ill, on to a chartered plane in the eastern town of Abeche. Two Chadian nationals have also been charged in connection with the case.
The charity insists its intentions were purely humanitarian, saying the children, aged between one and 10, were from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region and that it planned to place them with host families in France. Those who had signed up to foster the children had reportedly paid several thousand euro each.
But UN officials who have conducted interviews with the children say it appears most are not orphans, and instead come from villages on the Chadian side of the border with Sudan.
The case has caused outrage in Chad and strained relations between the country and its former colonial power.
Last week President Deby offered some hope to the French journalists and female Spanish flight attendants when he said on state television that the seven should be freed soon.
At a pre-trial hearing in N'Djamena on Saturday, Eric Breteau, the head of Zoe's Ark, told the judge that the reporters and aircraft crew were not involved in the operation.
Of those who remain in custody, six are from Zoe's Ark, three are members of the Spanish air crew and the last is a Belgian pilot. The charity workers have been charged with child abduction and fraud, the others with complicity. If convicted, they could receive sentences of up to 20 years under Chadian law.
At a press conference held after his hour of talks with the Chadian president, Mr Sarkozy said he had asked Mr Deby to respect the right to presumption of innocence for the remaining detainees. Last week Mr Sarkozy had criticised Zoe's Ark, condemning its activities as "illegal".
Mr Sarkozy had to fend off criticism from local reporters who claimed his intervention had forced the hand of the Chadian authorities. Mr Deby dismissed claims he had bowed to pressure from the French government.
In France, prime minister François Fillon has asked foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and defence minister Hervé Morin to launch an investigation into the incident.