11 04 12 Reprieve – Mother of Briton facing execution in Congo appeals to David Cameron
innocence and the fairness of their trial, co-defendants Joshua French and
Tjostolv Moland, a Norwegian national known to his friends as Mike, lost their
final appeal against charges of murder and espionage on Thursday 10th June 2010.
They now face execution by firing squad, sharing 11 death sentences between
them.
President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo now has the
power to reduce the men's sentences and remove the possibility of execution. It
is therefore vital that representations on Joshua’s behalf are now made at
the highest levels of government; in particular, a clemency plea must come from
Prime Minister himself to carry any weight.
In a letter to British Prime
Minister David Cameron, Reprieve explains why it is now crucial that both he and
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway get directly involved in the case, and
supports the call of Joshua's mother Kari Hilde that this be done without
further delay.
Joshua’s mother, Kari
Hilde said: "The decision whether or not to take Joshua’s life is in the
hands of President Kabila. It is now essential that both the Norwegian and the
British Prime Minister become involved and ask, on behalf of their nations, that
these young men be spared. I request of the British Prime Minister to ask His
Excellency President Kabila for a full pardon for my son. My son and his friend
face excecution or life imprisonment, which in reality means death, and they
deserve the full and unwavering support of their
governments."
French and Moland’s Norwegian lawyer Morten
Furuholmen said: "Joshua and Mike are in real danger. It is time for our
governments to ask their most senior officials to fight on behalf of these men.
We have asked the Norwegian Prime Minister to get involved and it is essential
that the British Prime Minister be part of these discussions. Together our
Prime Ministers have a real chance of saving two lives. It is vital that they
act now, before the wrong decision is made without them."
Harriet
McCulloch, Reprieve investigator said: "There can be no greater duty,
ultimately, for a politician than helping to save the life of a British citizen.
The British and Norwegian Foreign Offices have been working hard, but Joshua and
Mike are almost out of options. We can only expect Congo’s Head of State to
treat this situation with the gravity it deserves if the Prime Minister shows
his commitment."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. For further
information, please contact Katherine O'Shea katherine.oshea@reprieve.org.uk 020
7427 1099/07931592674 or go to www.reprieve.org.uk/joshuafrench.
2. Reprieve, a legal
action charity, uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from
death row to Guantánamo Bay. Reprieve investigates, litigates and educates,
working on the frontline, to provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay
for it themselves. Reprieve promotes the rule of law around the world, securing
each person’s right to a fair trial and saving lives. Clive Stafford Smith is
the founder of Reprieve and has spent 25 years working on behalf of people
facing the death penalty in the US.
Reprieve’s current
casework involves representing 33 prisoners in the US prison at Guantánamo Bay,
working on behalf of prisoners facing the death penalty, and conducting ongoing
investigations into the rendition and the secret detention of ‘ghost prisoners’
in the so-called ‘war on terror.’
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