A former British soldier currently on death row in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to face trial tomorrow for the alleged murder of his cell mate and best friend.
Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland were sentenced to death in 2009 after being found guilty of espionage and murder, although both men maintained their innocence.
They were convicted for a second time for the same offences in June 2010 following a military retrial branded a ”farce” by campaigners.
However, Mr French, who served in the Parachute Regiment, now faces a fresh murder charge after Mr Moland was found dead in the prison cell they shared on August 18 last year, despite an initial investigation which found he had taken his own life.
Legal charity Reprieve has called on the British Government, in letters to the Prime Minister, to intervene to prevent the trial or, at very least, have it transferred to a civilian court as it is set to be held in a military court, in violation of the DRC’s constitution and international law.
It is understood that discussions had been taking place to transfer Mr French to a prison in Norway but the fresh proceedings have thrown this in to jeopardy.
Mr French’s mother, Kari Hilde, said: “Joshua has already lost his best friend and nearly five years of his life. Now he’s being falsely accused of murder. How much more will he have to endure before the British Government takes serious action?”
Reprieve said a post-mortem examination conducted jointly by Congolese Police and the Norwegian police agency Kripos confirmed that Mr Moland had committed suicide.
Mr Moland’s father has written to the Congolese authorities asking for the charges against Mr French to be dropped but the request has not been answered.
Maya Foa, director of Reprieve’s death penalty team, said: “The Government has already tarried too long.
“These are sham charges and the Prime Minister needs to intervene without delay to protect the rights of British citizen, Joshua French. If the trial goes ahead in a military court, Joshua may well be given a death sentence, and all hopes of him leaving the prison alive will be dashed.”
Telegraph
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