18 Feb 2010

Haiti judge orders release of missionaries

9:59 am on 18 February 2010

A judge in Haiti has ordered the release of eight of a group of 10 American missionaries accused of kidnapping children.

However, the remaining two will be detained for further questioning.

They are mostly members of an Idaho-based Baptist church.

The group was arrested last month on charges that they tried to take 33 Haitian children out of the country without proper documentation after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on 12 January.

Those who have been released, were ordered to leave the country immediately.