PARIS - The six French aid workers sentenced to eight years of forced labour and fined almost 9 million dollars for attempting to kidnap more than 100 African children could be flown out to France by Sunday, the Nouvel Observateur magazine said on Thursday.
Supporters of the LÂ’Arche de Zoe (ZoeÂ’s Ark) aid organization meanwhile have criticised the sentence as too harsh.
| They should feel lucky. If I had been in charge they would each have 30 years in a Turkish prison for kidnapping. That's what this was, pure and simple. |
One of the defence lawyers, Gilbert Collard, called the situation a “legal scandal.”
| I agree, but not the way he thinks ... |
The trial, which was over in a few days, was seen as a face-saving measure for Chad. French President Nicolas Sarkozy had promised after the arrests to get all French detainees out of Chad, “no matter what they have done.”
The aid workers in October attempted to kidnap bring 103 African children to France to house them with foster families with the possibility of future adoption. |