20100610
Africanews

Two Norwegians, Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland, who had their death sentences overturned in April, have again been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for murdering their driver. A re-trial was ordered in April after it was found procedures at the military tribunal were flawed.

They were also again found guilty of spying for Norway.

The BBC reports that the tribunal in Kisangani has lowered the damages the convicted men and the Norwegian state have been ordered to pay from $500m (£300m) to $65m.

They were originally convicted of the spying and murder charges in September 2009 and lost an appeal in December.
UK-based legal charity Reprieve has condemned the "show trial".

"This farce of a trial would be comical if the stakes weren't so tragically high," said the group's Tineke Harris.

"Each time the military prosecution changes their theory, the witnesses all obligingly change their story. It is now clear why the DRC's own constitution forbids the military from administering justice."

Both men have always maintained their innocence.

They say they were travelling to DR Congo from Uganda on a motorbike trip.

When the motorbike broke down, they hired a driver, Abedi Kasongo, to take them back to Uganda.

They say Mr Kasongo was killed when they were ambushed by gunmen in a jungle.

Both defendants were carrying Norwegian military identity cards when they were arrested, which led to the spying charges - also denied by the Norwegian government.