PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Supporters of two French journalists arrested in Niger pleaded on Monday for their release after their lawyer said they may face the death penalty for colluding with rebel groups.

Thomas Dandois and Pierre Creisson are accused of violating the terms of their media accreditation to film a report about bird flu in the southern city of Maradi, instead travelling to film rebel fighters in the country's Saharan north.

"The only thing we want today is for everyone to push for clemency from (Niger) President (Mamadou) Tandja," Bernard Menard, head of human rights group Reporters Without Borders, told a news conference.

The two journalists, who were employed by production group Camicas Productions and were in Niger compiling a report for European TV station ARTE, were arrested on Monday.

Northern Niger has been under a state of alert since August and foreign reporters are banned as part of efforts to combat Tuareg rebels who have killed at least 49 government security personnel since they launched their uprising in February.

The journalists' lawyer said earlier this week the men could potentially face the death penalty if convicted.

The rebellion has increased tensions between Paris and Niamey, which earlier this year accused French state-controlled uranium miner and nuclear reactor maker Areva <CEPFi.PA> of paying army deserters who joined the rebellion.

Sebastien Camicas of Camicas Productions, acknowledged the team broke rules but said they had no political motives.

"We don't support nor are we against the Tuareg rebellion but we wanted to go on the ground to see what was going on. In order to do this, you sometimes need to bypass some rules, local rules," he said.

"So we bypassed a regulation and that doesn't make Thomas and Pierre criminals," he said.

Marc Dandois, the brother of one of the journalists, said he recognised that Tandja faced a difficult political situation.

"I call for his clemency. On Christmas Eve, we miss my brother. It's hard to explain to a 3-year-old boy that he won't be able to go on his uncle's bike because he can't catch a plane to come back from Africa," he said. (Reporting by Lucien Libert; writing by James Mackenzie)

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