French charity workers jailed in Chad on hunger strike

Six French charity workers detained in Chad over efforts to fly 103 children to France began a hunger strike Saturday to protest what they call a "biased" probe into the incident, a judicial source said.

"They have begun their hunger strike, but are continuing to drink water and smoke," the source told AFP.

"They are saying that they are determined to continue their strike until they are freed because they say they have committed no crime." The six French nationals are incarcerated in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena on charges of kidnapping and fraud. Five Chadian officials and a Sudanese refugee are also detained for complicity.

The investigating judge concluded his probe into the incident Tuesday and received the prosecutor's recommendations Thursday. He is expected to issue an edict next week on whether the case will be tried and, if so, whether it will be heard in a court dealing with crimes or misdemeanors.

But the five charity workers claim the judge is biased. One of them, Philippe van Winkelberg, wrote a letter to that effect, claiming "proof" of the defendants' innocence was not taken into account.

In France Gilbert Collard, lawyer for the detained members of the Zoe's Ark charity, said the six felt forsaken by the French government."The decision to launch a hunger strike is the result of a situation of diplomatic and political abandonment in which our compatriots are left," he said.

Chad, AFP, Sunday