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| Chennai Six: Britons jailed in India win appeal | Chennai Six: Britons jailed in India win appeal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Six British former soldiers who have been imprisoned on weapons charges in India since 2013 are to be released. | |
| They were arrested while working as guards on ships to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean. | They were arrested while working as guards on ships to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean. |
| The so-called Chennai Six always denied the charges, which were initially quashed but later reinstated. They were sentenced to five years in 2016. | The so-called Chennai Six always denied the charges, which were initially quashed but later reinstated. They were sentenced to five years in 2016. |
| The former soldiers appealed, and a judge has just ruled that they be acquitted. | The former soldiers appealed, and a judge has just ruled that they be acquitted. |
| Get more updates on this story on BBC Local Live. | Get more updates on this story on BBC Local Live. |
| 'Sheer relief' | |
| The men, who were working on the anti-piracy ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio, are: | The men, who were working on the anti-piracy ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio, are: |
| The news has been welcomed by the men's families, who have long campaigned for their release. | |
| Yvonne MacHugh, the partner of Billy Irving, said he had missed the birth of their son, William. | |
| She said: "I just feel sheer relief - finally we're getting our family back together. | |
| "Finally all the men are going to be home with their families. They've been acquitted of all charges, so they have done no wrongdoing and finally we've proven that." | |
| The judge ruled that all charges against them - and 29 others arrested with them - be dropped with immediate effect, and the fines they were ordered to pay be refunded. | |
| However, it is not yet known when they will be able to return home, as the authorities could appeal against the decision. | |
| John Armstrong's sister, Joanne Tomlinson, said: "They still need to get police clearance before they can come home, so there are steps being taken to try to ensure that everything's in place. | |
| "That they can come back as quickly as possible, but we don't have a time frame for that yet. " |