Chad frees 'kidnap' flight crew

The Spanish crew looked tired but elated after two weeks in captivity

Three Spanish aircrew detained in Chad over an alleged plot to abduct African children have been released.

They were driven out of the capital's main prison accompanied by their lawyer and the Spanish consul.

A Belgian pilot, who is recovering at a French military base in N'Djamena after suffering heart problems, is also free to leave Chad, officials said.

Six French members of the charity Zoe's Ark, alleged to be behind the plot, are awaiting trial on kidnapping charges.

The charity has said it was trying to rescue orphans from the war-torn province of Darfur in neighbouring Sudan, but aid workers say most of the children are Chadians with parents.

'Stable condition'

The BBC's Stephanie Hancock, outside the N'Djamena jail, says the two Spanish pilots and one male steward freed were Agustin Rey, Sergio Munoz and Daniel Gonzalez, who worked for the Catalan air charter company Girjet.

Village pines for children

Looking tired but elated, some still wearing the pilot's jackets in which they were arrested two weeks ago, the group waved and gave the thumbs up to waiting reporters, she says.

They are expected to fly back to Spain within 24 hours accompanied by Spain's secretary of state for foreign affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Mr Moratinos has thanked Mr Deby for their release and said Spain would pay to educate the 103 children Zoe's Ark had intended to fly to Europe.

The released men's lawyer, Jean-Bernard Padare, said pilot Jacques Wilmart had been transferred on Thursday from jail to a French military base where he was in a stable condition after suffering heart problems.

Our correspondent says Mr Wilmart is due to be medivaced home because of his heart complaint.

Trial

Mr Padare said a Chadian prosecutor had ordered the aircrew's release.

Belgian airline pilot Jacques Wilmart has suffered heart problems

Seventeen Europeans were originally detained in October.

Four Spanish female flight attendants and three French journalists were released on Sunday and flown home with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had travelled to Chad to discuss the case with Chadian President Idriss Deby.

If the six charity workers are convicted on charges of kidnapping or being an accessory, they face long prison sentences with hard labour.

Four Chadian nationals have also been charged with fraud and complicity to kidnap.

The 103 children were discovered aboard a plane on the tarmac in the eastern town of Abeche on 25 October.