Chad President Pardons Jailed French Aid Workers

The six members of the Zoe`s Ark charity were convicted of trying to fly 103 African children to Europe without permission.

Chad's President Idriss Deby on Monday granted an official pardon to six French aid workers jailed in December for abducting children.

The six members of the Zoe's Ark charity were sentenced to eight years' hard labour by a Chadian court late last year after it convicted them of trying to fly 103 African children to Europe without permission.

The charity workers, who had denied the charges, were flown back to France in late December and were serving their prison sentences there under a cooperation agreement. They are now expected to be released on Monday evening.

"The presidential pardon is accorded to Eric Breteau, Emilie Lelouch, Dominique Aubry, Alain Peligat, Philippe Van Winkelberg and Nadia Merimi," said a presidential decree, read on state radio in the former French colony.

France's diplomatic and military support helped Deby weather a rebel assault on the capital N'Djamena in early February, and the Chadian leader has since made it clear he was ready to pardon the French aid workers.

The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a statement saying it had been officially informed of the pardon and had transmitted confirmation to the Justice Ministry, meaning their release should come quickly.

"The release of the six members of Zoe's Ark will take place in the next few hours," a ministry spokesman said.

Chad's Higher Judicial Council, which advises Deby on legal matters, on Friday gave him the formal go-ahead to issue the official pardon.

In their court testimony in Chad, the six had said they believed they were trying to rescue war orphans from the conflict-torn Darfur region of Chad's eastern neighbour Sudan.

But U.N. and Chadians officials said most of the children were not orphans and came from Chadian border villages, where their parents had been persuaded to give up their offspring in exchange for promises of education.

Gilbert Collard, a lawyer for the group's leader Eric Breteau and Emilie Lelouch, said his clients intended to speak out about the affair after their release.

"They will be able to defend themselves as they were not able to defend themselves up to now," he told Reuters. "Once they are freed, they will have the means to speak freely."