Six French aid workers detained in Chad on suspicion of trying to smuggle 103 children to Europe will face a criminal prosecution, including attempted kidnapping and fraud, their lawyer said yesterday. Abou Lamia, representing the members of the French humanitarian activist group Zoe?s Ark, said four Chadians would also stand trial for attempted kidnapping.

Charges were dropped against 11 suspects who had been released, a legal source said. These were the seven Spanish crew of a plane chartered to fly the children to Europe, three French journalists and a Belgian pilot. The six French nationals detained in Chad started hunger strike on Friday night, refusing food but drinking water. They said no one was listening to their case and that they had been abandoned by the French government.

Lamia said there was no date set for the start of the trial. The six could face forced labor terms if convicted. There has been a debate among legal experts in Chad in recent weeks as to whether the French aid workers should face criminal or civil charges. The other two charges against them are lying on official documents and non-payment of rent, their lawyer said.