Oslo/Kinshasa - Two Norwegian men who were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for murdering their driver appealed against their sentences on Wednesday, Norwegian media reported. Tjostolv Moland and Joshua French, filed the appeal at a military tribunal in Kisangani, broadcaster TV2 reported. They had also been convicted of spying in the case that was closely monitored by the Norwegian government.
The court in the capital Kinshasa on Tuesday ordered the men and the Norwegian state to pay the the Congolese state 60 million dollars in damages, reports said.
Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Wednesday said he had been in touch with his Congolese counterpart Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, who assured him that the Moland, 28, and French, 27, would not be executed.
Congo has for several years had a moratorium on the death penalty.
Store told reporters he had rejected the allegations that the two had been spying on behalf of Oslo and also refuted the damages the court ordered the Norwegian state to pay.
The men were working for a private security firm in Congo. They said that their driver was killed in early May when their car was attacked by armed robbers.
They were arrested after attempting to flee and identified themselves as members of the Norwegian military.
