Chad: President ready to pardon six

Chadian President Idriss Deby said today he was “ready to pardon” six French aid workers convicted in December of trying to kidnap 103 children they said were orphans from Darfur.

Deby, speaking on Europe-1 radio, said he could only issue a pardon on a demand from France but that “I am ready to pardon” the six sentenced to eight years of hard labour by a Chad court.

The six were returned to France and the sentence was converted last month to eight years in prison by a French court.