Zoe's Ark Aid Workers Go Before French Court

Can Tran January 15, 2008

All six French aid workers were sentenced to eight years of hard labor when convicted in a Chadian court. But, this type of punishment does not exist in France. French prosecutors have called that the aid workers be sentenced to eight years prison. However, the defense lawyers argued back that a sentence would be harsh.

The six workers were allowed by Chad’s government to return to France and serve out their sentences. They were convicted on December 26 of trying to fly out 103 children. The workers said that they were orphans from Sudan. However, most of them were from Chad and were not orphans.

They were also sentenced to pay a nine-million dollar fine.

Under the 1976 bilateral cooperation accord, they were flown back to France.

“The most suitable sentence would be eight years in prison,” said Jean-Jacques Bosc, the state prosecutor said to the court.

“We are not holding a new trial here,” he added.

Zoe’s Ark which is a charity based in France is also facing a separate investigation by the French government.