Any opinions of the two norwegians arrested in CONGO?

Ine · Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:44 am

Did anyone read about the norwegians who were arrested in Congo and got a deathsentence for murder, robbery, spying etc etc etc?

It awakened a rage in Norway. People reacted to it. If you're not updated on the case there's tons of articles on the net. It was creating headlines all over the world apparently.

Did they deserve deathsentence? Any thoughts about this matter?

In the Republic of Congo, a surreal scenario is playing out: Two Norwegian citizens, Tjostolv Moland and Joshua French, have been jailed, apparently due to involvement in a murderscene in which an innocent cabdriver was killed. The Republic of Congo claims the Norwegians killed the driver over a money dispute – the Norwegians claims they were nothing more than witnesses to the crime, perpetrated by unknown gunmen in the middle of the jungle.

In any event, the Republic of Congo is furious – and claims that the killing represents an attack on «the body and soul of Congo itself». And what does Congo think would be a good compenstation for such a hideous crime against the Conglonese people? According to the State Attorney of the Republic of Congo, a mere $500 BILLION dollars will suffice.

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(CNN) -- Two Norwegian citizens were sentenced to death Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for espionage, murder and attempted murder, Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed to CNN.

Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland have been sentenced to death and have five days to appeal.

Asked about the sentence, Lambert Mende Omalanga, Congo's minister of communications, told CNN, "We don't have a habit of commenting on judicial decisions."

However, Omalanga said, his country has not carried out the death penalty in 10 years. He said lawmakers in parliament are in the process of trying to take the law off the books.

A military court in Kisangani found Tjostolv Moland, 28, and Joshua French, 27, guilty on all charges, Norwegian TV2 reported. The court also ordered the pair to pay $60 million in damages.

The men have five days to appeal their sentence, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN. It was not clear why the men were in Congo.

"I have earlier made absolutely clear that these two have not been conducting business for Norway in any shape or form," Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Store told Norwegian state television NRK after the verdict.

"We will now read through the sentence to see exactly how it is written," Store added.

Norwegian authorities have been following the trial closely on television, and have tried to keep a balance between respecting the judicial system of a different country and helping Norwegian citizens in trouble, Store told NRK.

The two men were found guilty of spying for Norway and for killing a driver in May, according to NRK.

In an earlier statement on the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, the ministry said that if the two Norwegians were to receive the death penalty, Norwegian authorities would immediately try to seek assurances from Congolese authorities that the death sentence would not be carried out.

"Norway has a very strong stand on the death penalty, and we are very much against it," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman told CNN.
Images on NRK TV showed that after the sentence against the two men was read, applause broke out in the courtroom

This was the first sentence they got. But when they went to court again, I do belive they were sentenced to death again.

Wynney · Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:25 pm

I don't agree with death sentences.

azcn2503 · Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:34 pm

I agree with death sentences.

Ine · Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:53 pm

Wynney wrote:

I don't agree with death sentences.

finally one thing i agree with Wynney on. +1

azcn2503 · Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:47 pm

I agree with them because we are paying for people to live in prison for their entire lives when they might as well just be killed so that we don't have to pay for them.

Ine · Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:50 pm

death is a cheap escape from your crime imo

Harry · Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:09 pm

ooh yay, punishment

1 year in jail
10 years in jail
20 years in jail
30 years in jail
40 years in jail
50 years in jail
Death Sentence - Quick way out
(for example)

So is a death sentence a punishment, or a savior?

Wynney · Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:14 pm

what if you execute the wrong person...

Ine · Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:22 pm

+1 wynney

azcn2503 · Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:31 pm

Wynney wrote:

what if you execute the wrong person...

That is a bad idea, don't do that.

Do execute the right person though. That way, the tax payer doesn't have to pay a murderer for a life he/she does not deserve.

Ine · Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:39 pm

well prison isnt only joy is it`what about those who get beated up and raped in jail:O

Gozzer · Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:50 pm

azcn2503 wrote:

Wynney wrote:

what if you execute the wrong person...

That is a bad idea, don't do that.

loled.

Death sentence should only really be considered in extreme cases imo.

Lord Metritutus · Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:06 pm

I agree with death sentences if the crime is extreme, and there is clear evidence against the accused individual(s).

It could be viewed as a 'cheap escape' I suppose, however I disagree. The point of this is to remove these dangerous individuals from society permanently. They would not be going back into society if they have committed a truly heinous crime, and they would be wasting money and resources that they do not honestly deserve at all if merely jailed.

azcn2503 · Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:13 pm

Gozzer wrote:

Death sentence should only really be considered in extreme cases imo.

I also agree with this.

I think that instead of life sentences (where a person will be locked up for their entire life) it would make more sense to execute them than to keep them living off state money. You can pretty much guarantee that anyone who had a life sentence given to them committed a pretty bad crime!

You'd need solid DNA evidence of course.

Hawke · Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:58 pm

Well you need to define an extreme crime really.

Wynney · Sun Dec 13, 2009 4:19 pm

They murder someone so you execute them. You're basing your morality as you please in such an instance.

DRAGON · Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:02 pm

I get that people should die for killing, but I don't think you can really vote for a government that has to kill to keep peace.

azcn2503 · Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:11 pm

Wynney wrote:

They murder someone so you execute them. You're basing your morality as you please in such an instance.

Seems pretty reasonable

Any opinions of the two norwegians arrested in CONGO?

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