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| Safety concerns in Chad child row | Safety concerns in Chad child row |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Sixteen Europeans being held in Chad on child kidnapping and fraud charges are to be moved to the capital as their safety cannot be guaranteed in Abeche. | Sixteen Europeans being held in Chad on child kidnapping and fraud charges are to be moved to the capital as their safety cannot be guaranteed in Abeche. |
| The group was arrested in the town last week while allegedly trying to smuggle more than 100 children to France. | The group was arrested in the town last week while allegedly trying to smuggle more than 100 children to France. |
| A BBC correspondent says reporters were briefly shown the prisoners, many appearing distraught and dishevelled. | A BBC correspondent says reporters were briefly shown the prisoners, many appearing distraught and dishevelled. |
| She says there was no sign of physical maltreatment, but a French man gestured that he had been beaten. | She says there was no sign of physical maltreatment, but a French man gestured that he had been beaten. |
| If they are found guilty, the group face between five and 20 years in prison with hard labourer | If they are found guilty, the group face between five and 20 years in prison with hard labourer |
| The charity behind the flight, Zoe's Ark, said it believed the children were orphans from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. | The charity behind the flight, Zoe's Ark, said it believed the children were orphans from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. |
| Staff from the UN children's agency Unicef say many of the children, now being kept in an orphanage in Abeche, a town near Chad's border with Darfur, cry at night for their parents and say they are from villages in Chad. | Staff from the UN children's agency Unicef say many of the children, now being kept in an orphanage in Abeche, a town near Chad's border with Darfur, cry at night for their parents and say they are from villages in Chad. |
| Close to tears | Close to tears |
| The BBC's Stephanie Hancock in Abeche says journalists were briefly allowed to view the prisoners in custody. | The BBC's Stephanie Hancock in Abeche says journalists were briefly allowed to view the prisoners in custody. |
| It appears that the Chadian government wants to create with France difficult relations Jack LangFrench Socialist MP Profile: Zoe's Ark Ordeal of Chad children class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3751&edition=1">Would you give up your child? | |
| All the foreigners were being held together in one room. | All the foreigners were being held together in one room. |
| Seated on the floor still dressed in their airline uniforms and charity T-shirts, they appeared extremely dishevelled, she says. | Seated on the floor still dressed in their airline uniforms and charity T-shirts, they appeared extremely dishevelled, she says. |
| One French prisoner was lying on the floor clearly in a good deal of pain. | One French prisoner was lying on the floor clearly in a good deal of pain. |
| A Spanish air hostess was close to tears. | A Spanish air hostess was close to tears. |
| Our reporter says that now the prisoners have been charged they will be moved to the capital, N'Djamena, as their safety in jail in Abeche cannot be guaranteed. | Our reporter says that now the prisoners have been charged they will be moved to the capital, N'Djamena, as their safety in jail in Abeche cannot be guaranteed. |
| Nine French prisoners, six members of Zoe's Ark and three journalists, were charged with attempted child abduction and fraud. | Nine French prisoners, six members of Zoe's Ark and three journalists, were charged with attempted child abduction and fraud. |
| The seven Spanish air crew were charged as accomplices. | The seven Spanish air crew were charged as accomplices. |
| Under Chadean law, child kidnapping carries a sentence of five to 20 years hard labour, while the fraud charges could see the group face a further five years in jail. | Under Chadean law, child kidnapping carries a sentence of five to 20 years hard labour, while the fraud charges could see the group face a further five years in jail. |
| One Chadean has so far also been charged as an accomplice. | One Chadean has so far also been charged as an accomplice. |
| Another European - a Belgian pilot - is in detention in N'Djamena, but is not reported to be facing charges at present. | Another European - a Belgian pilot - is in detention in N'Djamena, but is not reported to be facing charges at present. |
| 'Exploiting' | 'Exploiting' |
| A senior French opposition MP told the BBC he feared Chad was trying to exploit the situation for political purposes. | A senior French opposition MP told the BBC he feared Chad was trying to exploit the situation for political purposes. |
| There were no obvious signs the group had been physically maltreated | There were no obvious signs the group had been physically maltreated |
| "I know some of these people who are working in Darfur, and they are very generous people, and probably they have made several mistakes - it's not easy to understand," said Jack Lang, a former Socialist minister. | "I know some of these people who are working in Darfur, and they are very generous people, and probably they have made several mistakes - it's not easy to understand," said Jack Lang, a former Socialist minister. |
| "And the French government in the first time was not against this operation, it was a humanitarian operation. | "And the French government in the first time was not against this operation, it was a humanitarian operation. |
| "But now it appears that the Chadian government wants to create with France difficult relations." | "But now it appears that the Chadian government wants to create with France difficult relations." |
| Spain's foreign ministry said it "disagreed" with the charges against its citizens. | Spain's foreign ministry said it "disagreed" with the charges against its citizens. |
| "Everything seems to indicate there is no conclusive evidence against the Spaniards," Bernardino Leon, a senior ministry official, told Spanish radio. | "Everything seems to indicate there is no conclusive evidence against the Spaniards," Bernardino Leon, a senior ministry official, told Spanish radio. |
| The children are not being treated for any serious illnesses or injuries | The children are not being treated for any serious illnesses or injuries |
| "Until this evidence is presented, the government will continue to maintain that they are innocent and continue to demand their release." | "Until this evidence is presented, the government will continue to maintain that they are innocent and continue to demand their release." |
| Our correspondent was among a group of reporters taken by Chadian authorities to the airport at Abeche and shown the private charter plane still sitting on the runway where it was abandoned. | Our correspondent was among a group of reporters taken by Chadian authorities to the airport at Abeche and shown the private charter plane still sitting on the runway where it was abandoned. |
| The reporters were also taken to the orphanage where the children are being cared for by aid workers and UN staff. | The reporters were also taken to the orphanage where the children are being cared for by aid workers and UN staff. |
| The majority of the children are believed to be between three and five years old, with the oldest about eight or nine, and several babies no more than one and a half, our correspondent says. | The majority of the children are believed to be between three and five years old, with the oldest about eight or nine, and several babies no more than one and a half, our correspondent says. |
| The charity insists it was trying in good faith to take endangered children abroad for medical treatment. But aid workers said they were not treating any of the children for any serious illnesses or injuries. | The charity insists it was trying in good faith to take endangered children abroad for medical treatment. But aid workers said they were not treating any of the children for any serious illnesses or injuries. |