French lawmaker admits heading pilots’ escape from Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- Aymeric Chauprade, the French deputy of theEuropean Parliament, on Thursday confessed to orchestrating the escape of Frenchpilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos from the Dominican republic to theircountry in October, arguing that his participation was an act of"solidarity" because in his view, his compatriots "at no time”received a fair trial.

In a videouploaded to Youtube titled "Open letter to the president of the DominicanRepublic,” Chauprade recounts his work with former president Leonel Fernandez andthat his "commitment" to the country once the Army of the Dominican Republicwas the first to arrive to help Haiti after the earthquake of 2012.

"I was with Leonel Fernandez at that great moment ofsolidarity with Haiti," Chauprade said. "That was one of the memoriesthat has most marked my life."

He criticized Dominican justice’s charges against hiscompatriot Christopher Naudin accused of migrant trafficking, “because thepilots were not immigrants in the Dominican Republic and that the planning ofthe escape didn’t seek monetary benefits.

He said he respects Dominican justice and understands thatthe "Dominican people feel hurt," for which he asked forgiveness, butinsisted that his countrymen were "helpless" in a trial whose Dominicansuspects, more than, 30 were all acquitted.