The three Spanish flight crew who were being held in Chad in connection with a child-trafficking row have been released. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer have now left the prison in N’Dajema where they were being held, in the company of Spanish diplomats. They were the crew of a charter jet seized as they were about to fly 103 African children to France for the French charity “Zoe’s Ark”. The four hostesses on the plane with them were freed at the weekend.

A 74-year-old Belgian pilot who was transferred to a French military hospital yesterday after falling ill, has also been given his freedom by the authorities in Chad. Jacques Wilmart was said to have flown small groups of children from the border with Sudan to the Chad town of Abéché for the flight to France.

The six French charity workers who claimed they were taking Darfur orphans to foster homes remain in detention. Chad claimsmost of the children were neither orphans nor from Darfur.

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