Agustín Rey, the pilot of the Girjet crew arrested in Chad last month accused of conspiring to abduct 103 children to be sold for adoption in Europe, thanked "all the authorities" for their efforts to resolve "this episode" when he and his two colleagues arrived at Torrejón airport last night.

Mr Rey went on to explain how "the first few moments had been quite difficult," and there had been "a great deal of uncertainty until the Spanish consul arrived and told us just how much support we were getting back home."

With respect to his crew, the pilot said that he was "very proud of each and every one of them. They behaved like a crew at all times and acted above and beyond the call of duty."

Mr Rey was keen to stress that there had been times when they had been really scared, although "we're fine now, thanks to the government's efforts. Thank God we're back with our families again."

For her part, government first vice-president, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who was at the airport to meet Mr Rey, his co-pilot, Sergio Muñoz and flight assistant, Daniel González (photo, left to right), said "diplomacy has worked thanks to the government's firm attitude" and thanked the Chadian authorities for their "willingness to understand."

Remaining Spanish air crew detainees 'to be released today'
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, November 9, 2007

Spanish consul, Vicente Mas, announced this morning on Punto Radio's morning show, 'Protagonistas', that the three male members of a Spanish air crew still under arrest in Chad accused of conspiring with French NGO, Zoe's Ark, to smuggle 103 children out of the country to be sold for adoption in Europe, will be released today. Spanish Foreign Affairs secretary, Bernardino León, is travelling to Chad this morning to organise their immediate repatriation.

Last Sunday, the four female members of the crew arrived back in Spain accompanied by French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who also secured the release of three French journalists.

It seems that the three men - pilot, Agustín Rey, co-pilot, Sergio Muñoz and flight assistant, Daniel González - will be released after Zoe's Ark president, Eric Breteau, who has been giving evidence this week, told the judge that the Spaniards were not implicated in the plot to abduct the children, and that they were not aware of the real reason for the mission.

Aznar feels 'humiliated' by Sarkozy intervention
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Former Spanish president, José María Aznar, said that he was delighted that the four Spanish air-hostesses are back in Spain, thanked his "good friend," Nicolas Sarkozy, for his efforts to secure their release, but said that he feels "humiliated" as a Spaniard by the Spanish government's 'laissez-faire' attitude. "Can you imagine a president of the Spanish government rescuing a French crew and dropping them off in Paris?" he asked rhetorically during an interview on the catholic Cadena Cope radio station yesterday.

For his part, PP general secretary, Angel Acebes called a press conference to demand that president Zapatero be made to appear in parliament to explain the government's "passive" attitude to the crisis. Mariano Rajoy's 'number two' also urged the president to make more of an effort to secure the release of the three air crew still under arrest in Chad, and said that that "thank heavens Sarkozy was there" because Moratinos was "on holiday."

In response, PSOE spokesman, José Blanco suggested that the PP was "annoyed" by the "good relations" that currently exist between the French and Spanish governments.

In a similar vein, Justice minister, Mariano Fernández Bermejo, said that the government had acted in an "especially intelligent way," and attributed the air-hostesses' release to Spain's "magnificent" diplomatic relationship with France.

A source within the Moncloa Palace has confirmed this morning that president Zapatero phoned his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby last night to thank him for agreeing to release the four women and to ask for the same "benevolence" to be shown to the two pilots, Agustin Rey and Sergio Muñoz, and flight assistant, Daniel Gonzalez, who spent yesterday being questioned by the judge in charge of the investigation in the country's capital, N'Djamena. 

Sarkozy delivers detained air-hostesses
By: thinkSPAIN
Monday, November 5, 2007

The four Spanish air-hostesses arrested in Chad eleven days ago accused of conspiring to abduct 103 children, arrived at Torrejón military airport shortly before 9pm yesterday evening accompanied by French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who travelled to Chad yesterday for crisis talks with his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby.

Three French journalists also released yesterday arrived back in France around two and half hours later when president Sarkozy's jet touched down at Villacoublay military airport on the outskirts of Paris at 10.23pm.

President Zapatero, accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, were at Torrejón airport to meet the party. Mr Sarkozy confirmed that the Spanish and French governments have been working together since the start of the crisis, and said that he hoped that the three male members of the Spanish air crew, as well as the seven Zoe's Ark charity workers still under arrest in Chad, would be released soon.

Mr Sarkozy confirmed that he had decided to travel to Chad following a meeting with president Zapatero on Saturday morning, and said that, although he respects the Chadian judicial system, believes that the seventeen suspects should be tried in their own countries.

The four released air-hostesses - Tatiana Suárez, Sara López, Carolina Jean and Mercedes Calleja - are now back with their families. The three Spanish crew still in Chad are the two pilots - Agustín Rey and Sergio Muñoz - and flight assistant, Daniel González.

'Air hostesses could be released today,' claims lawyer
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, November 4, 2007

French president Nicolas Sarkozy will be in Chad today for a meeting with Chad president, Idriss Deby, concerning the situation of the seventeen Europeans detained since the 25th October accused of trying to smuggle 103 children out of the country ilegally to be sold for adoption in Europe.

A spokesman for the Spanish Foreign Affairs ministry said that there is hope that the four Spanish air hostesses interviewed by a Chadian judge in N'Djamena yesterday - as well as three French journalists - will be released as a result of the French president's intervention, and may even be allowed to fly back on the same plane.

Mr Sarkozy is scheduled to arrive at 2pm and the two leaders will give a joint press conference scheduled for 4pm.

The lawyer representing the girls is also reported to have announced their imminent release to the French press and a Spanish diplomatic source inside Chad has said that the four air hostesses will definitely arrive in Madrid later today.

The three other members of the Spanish air crew, as well as the French charity workers, will appear in court today.

Child kidnap row crew charged in Chad
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Bad news for the Spanish air crew embroiled in the Chad child kidnap row after public prosecutor, Ahmat Daoud, announced yesterday that all seven have been formally charged with conspiring to abduct children, which if convicted, could mean sentences of between five to twenty years' hard labour.

The Spanish Interior ministry has confirmed the identities of the two female air hostesses as Tatiana Suárez and Mercedes Calleja, both of whom are from Asturias.

The nine French prisoners - six charity workers and three journalists - have been charged with attempted child abduction and fraud. While the penalty for the child abduction charge is the same as the one faced by the Spanish crew for conspiring to abduct children, the fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of a further five years.

Decision day for Spanish air crew detained in Chad
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

The seven members of a Spanish air crew arrested in Chad last Thursday accused of child trafficking will learn their fate today after the local judge in charge of the investigation postponed his ruling yesterday after conducting individual interviews with each of the sixteen arrestees.

The Spanish crew of two pilots and five cabin staff is employed by the Catalan Girjet airline company that was chartered by the French NGO known as Zoe's Ark, which is accused of trying to smuggle more than a hundred children out of the country to sell for adoption under the guise of a humanitarian mission.

The charity has denied the accusations and insists that the 103 children are orphans from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, although a UN delegate in Chad, Annet Rehrl, who has spoken to the children, claims that they all have mothers and fathers. Ms Rehrl aslo said that there is evidence that families from France and other European countries have already paid €3,000 to adopt them.

According to a report on the BBC website, based on a local government source, it seems likely that the judge will order for the six French charity workers also arrested along with three journalists, to be remanded in custody on forgery and child abduction charges.

The third photo shows Girjet commercial director, Antonio Cajal, who explained that the company had applied for, and been granted, all the required permits to operate in Chad on the basis that the stated reason for the trip was "to repatriate children."