Trial and conviction of Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland

The trial and conviction of Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland followed their arrest in May 2009, and their being charged with killing their hired driver, 47-year-old Abedi Kasongo, on May 5, 2009, at Bafwasende, Tshopo District, Orientale Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.^[1] French was arrested on May 9 in the Epulu game reserve, around 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Kisangani. Moland was arrested two days later in the Ituri Province, a few hundred kilometres farther northeast.^[2]

After their arrest, French and Moland were charged with killing Kasongo on the Ituri Road, in the vicinity of the 109-kilometre marker between Kisangani and the Ugandan border.^[3] Additional charges against the two included attempted murder of a witness, espionage, armed robbery and the possession of illegal firearms.^[4]

Their trial, held on August 14, was allowed to take place before a military court because firearms had been used in the crime.^[2] However, according to Mirna Adjami, a local representative of the International Center for Transitional Justice, only Congolese police and army soldiers can be tried before a military tribunal; this raised questions as to the court's legitimacy.^[5]

Norway's foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in 2009, "We have to be realistic about what our Ministry of Foreign Affairs can do".^[6] Representatives of the Ministry, including Thorleif Wangen (embassy secretary), observed the trials.^[7]^[8]

On 18 August 2013 Moland was found dead in his prison cell.^[9]

On May 17, 2017 Joshua French was released from prison and was allowed to return to Norway on the grounds of humanitarian and health reasons.^[10]

^ DOMMEN fra ankesaken 3. December 2009 (norsk). Freefrenchandmoland.com (2009-09-08). Retrieved on 2013-08-19.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference AFP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Konkret holdt tiltalte på kilometerpunkt 109 på ITURI-veien, i territoriet BAFWASENDE, TSHOPO distrikt, i Østprovinsen i "
^ Cite error: The named reference PMH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Nærland, Mina Hauge (2009-09-08). "- Ulovlig å dømme dem ved en militærdomstol". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ : "«Vi må være realistiske på hva UD kan gjøre» sa utenriksminister Jonas Gahr Støre i mai"
^ Nordmenn i utlandet krever «alt» - Norge - NRK Nyheter. Nrk.no. Retrieved on 2013-08-19.
^ Moland og French er ikke de første nordmennene med dødsdom utenlands - kultur. Dagbladet.no (2010-10-14). Retrieved on 2013-08-19.
^ - Orker ikke tenke på hvordan Josh har det
^ "Erna Solberg bekrefter: Joshua French er tilbake i Norge". 17 May 2017.

[1] DOMMEN fra ankesaken 3. December 2009 (norsk). Freefrenchandmoland.com (2009-09-08). Retrieved on 2013-08-19.

[AFP-2] Cite error: The named reference AFP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] "Konkret holdt tiltalte på kilometerpunkt 109 på ITURI-veien, i territoriet BAFWASENDE, TSHOPO distrikt, i Østprovinsen i "

[PMH-4] Cite error: The named reference PMH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Nærland, Mina Hauge (2009-09-08). "- Ulovlig å dømme dem ved en militærdomstol". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2009-09-09.

[6] : "«Vi må være realistiske på hva UD kan gjøre» sa utenriksminister Jonas Gahr Støre i mai"

[7] Nordmenn i utlandet krever «alt» - Norge - NRK Nyheter. Nrk.no. Retrieved on 2013-08-19.

[8] Moland og French er ikke de første nordmennene med dødsdom utenlands - kultur. Dagbladet.no (2010-10-14). Retrieved on 2013-08-19.

[Dead-9] - Orker ikke tenke på hvordan Josh har det

[nrk.no-10] "Erna Solberg bekrefter: Joshua French er tilbake i Norge". 17 May 2017.

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