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French aid workers back in court | French aid workers back in court |
(about 5 hours later) | |
French aid workers convicted in Chad of child trafficking have gone before a French court, where judges are hearing how to adapt their sentences. | |
The six were sentenced to eight years' hard labour, a type of punishment that does not exist in French justice. | |
Prosecutors called for the aid workers to be given eight-year prison sentences but defence lawyers argued such a sentence would be too harsh. | |
Chad allowed the aid workers to return to France to serve their sentences. | Chad allowed the aid workers to return to France to serve their sentences. |
They were convicted on 26 December of trying to fly out 103 children who they said were Sudanese orphans. But most were Chadians and not orphans. | |
We are not holding a new trial here Jean-Jacques Bosc, prosecutor | |
The four men and two women were also sentenced to pay a $9m (£4.5m) fine. | The four men and two women were also sentenced to pay a $9m (£4.5m) fine. |
They were flown to France two days later under the terms of a 1976 bilateral co-operation accord. | They were flown to France two days later under the terms of a 1976 bilateral co-operation accord. |
"The most suitable sentence would be eight years in prison," state prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc told the court at Creteil, near Paris. | |
He argued that the aid workers had recognised the sentences handed down in Chad "were definite and would be enforced" when they asked to return to France. | |
He stressed that the hearing was a purely technical procedure. | |
"We are not holding a new trial here," Mr Bosc said. | |
"You cannot reconsider the facts or revise the sentences. Taking this path would be to violate an international principle," he said. | |
But defence lawyer Simon Miravette argued that his client Alain Peligat had "not accepted the decision by the Ndjamena criminal court but rather the transfer". | |
He said that the conditions of the transfer were "completely incompatible" with provisions of the European human rights convention. | |
Hunger strike | Hunger strike |
Group leader Eric Breteau went on hunger strike while still in Chad. His lawyer says he is very weak, but he did arrive at the French hearing. | Group leader Eric Breteau went on hunger strike while still in Chad. His lawyer says he is very weak, but he did arrive at the French hearing. |
All but one of the aid workers - nurse Nadia Merimi - were present in the courtroom. | |
The French charity they worked for, Zoe's Ark, is facing a separate French investigation. | |
The aid workers' actions sparked outrage in Chad. | The aid workers' actions sparked outrage in Chad. |
Zoe's Ark insisted tribal leaders in Sudan had told them all the children were orphans from Darfur. It said it wanted to save the children's lives and was carrying out a medical evacuation - not an adoption operation. | Zoe's Ark insisted tribal leaders in Sudan had told them all the children were orphans from Darfur. It said it wanted to save the children's lives and was carrying out a medical evacuation - not an adoption operation. |
In statements to police, the families said they had not been told their children were about to be taken abroad. | In statements to police, the families said they had not been told their children were about to be taken abroad. |
They claimed that the aid workers misled them into believing the youngsters - aged one to 10 - would be offered temporary local school places. | They claimed that the aid workers misled them into believing the youngsters - aged one to 10 - would be offered temporary local school places. |
The Chadian government also accused the charity of "absconding without payment" of bills accrued in its attempt to fly the children out of the eastern town of Abeche. | |
In November seven Europeans arrested with the six Zoe's Ark workers flew home, accompanied by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. | In November seven Europeans arrested with the six Zoe's Ark workers flew home, accompanied by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. |
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