Tjostolv Moland Tjostolv Moland ( 28 February 1981 – 18 August 2013 ) was a former Norwegian army officer and security contractor arrested in May 2009 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) , and convicted ( together with Joshua French ) of murdering their driver and espionage for Norway . One day after he died , " The Guardian " said that his " death overshadowed even the upcoming elections in Norway ' s media . " Furthermore Reuters claimed that " The death penalty was later overturned by Congo ' s military high court " — without mentioning that the prisoners were sentenced to death at the next trial . Early life . Moland was born and raised in Vegårshei , Aust - Agder county , Norway . He joined the army when he was nineteen , served in The King ' s Guard and later the Telemark Battalion , where he held the rank of second lieutenant before his resignation in 2007 . During his tenure as an army officer , he befriended grenadier Joshua French , a fellow soldier in the Telemark Battalion . After leaving the military , they both worked in the private security industry for a Korean company as security guards in the Gulf of Aden . 2009 Congo trial . In 2009 , a manhunt ensued after Moland and French were suspected in the shooting of their driver , who was found dead in the car in which the three had been riding . The men claimed that their driver was murdered by gunmen who waylaid them , and that they escaped from them on foot . On 8 September 2009 , a DRC military tribunal in Kisangani ( the capital of Orientale Province ) found them both guilty of all charges and sentenced them to death . The Democratic Republic of the Congo government insists that the defendants were active - duty Norwegian soldiers , contradicting Norway ' s insistence that they had no connection with its military since 2007 . " The rulings drew immediate international protests amid claims of miscarriages of justice . " Appeal and new trial . On 22 April 2010 , the BBC reported that a court overturned the convictions of French and Moland because of flawed procedures at their military tribunal and ordered a new trial with different judges . On 10 June 2010 , the BBC reported that the new tribunal in Kisangani found them guilty of murder and espionage . They were again sentenced to death and the Norwegian State was ordered to pay $ 65m . Imprisonment . During their first trial , the men were incarcerated in Kisangani , where they also remained for the first year of their sentence . In 2010 , they were transferred to Kinshasa . ( " Tvedestrandsposten " has reported the name of the prison as Prison Militaire Ndolo . ) In 2011 , their prison cell was searched by officials including major Jean - Blaise Bwamulunda , one of the prosecutors in the trial . in cash was found and confiscated . Diplomats meeting in Democratic Republic of Congo . In 2013 , on his visit to the DRC , French president François Hollande suggested that prisoners French and Moland should be moved out of the situation of their six - man prison cell ; five days later the two prisoners shared a cell of their own . ( Britain ' s foreign ministry had contacted France ' s in advance , due to Joshua French being a British citizen in addition to being a Norwegian citizen . ) Death . On 18 August 2013 , at 4 AM local time , Moland was found dead by his cellmate , Joshua French . French , who slept with ear plugs , had noticed that Moland got out of bed , but when he did not return from the adjoining bathroom , he woke up and found his cellmate dead . The prison officials were notified four hours later , and began investigation . DRCs minister of communications , Lambert Mende Omalanga , said that " We ' re trying to determine whether it was suicide or homicide . It looks like suicide but we ' re not sure " . His death was confirmed at a press conference by Norway ' s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide , who also reported that the cause of death was yet unknown . The Norwegian government dispatched a four - man criminal team the following day , to assist the investigation in Congo . On 20 August , French stated in an interview with " VG " that Moland had been active and in good health up until his death , doing his daily exercises and jogging in the courtyard just a few hours earlier . Eight days later , on 28 August 2013 , Congolese authorities and Norwegian pathologists concluded that Moland had committed suicide . Reactions . Morten Furuholmen , a former lawyer of the two prisoners , said " My opinion has been that there should have been more activity from the highest levels of politics , including meeting in Congo . Norway ' s foreign ministry has limited itself to short meetings during UN sessions in New York , together with one contact in Ethiopia . There haven ' t been any meetings in Congo as far as I know " . Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told " Dagbladet " that the death " is deeply tragic " . On 20 August 2013 an " Aftenposten " editorial wrote that " . . . some are of the opinion that Norway ought to be able to pay itself out of the troubles . In our opinion such suggestions are overly simplistic . - One must also ask oneself what sort of example that would set for similar incidents in the future ; and if Norwegian citizens ' safety in critical situations are best cared for through generous ransom payments . " " Dagbladet " ' s editorial said " . . . if Norwegian authorities had agreed to pay what was necessary to get Moland and French home to Norway , it would have endangered all Norwegians traveling to similar nations . Norwegian citizens visiting corrupt or lawless countries would have their market value increased . They could become commodities . Therefore such cases demand quiet diplomacy . " An editorial in " Tvedestrandsposten " — the newspaper where Moland ' s family placed the death notice — called for an independent investigation of Norway ' s foreign ministry . Jonas Gahr Støre , Norway ' s foreign minister at the time of Moland and French ' s arrest and conviction , said " . . . I understand , of course , that those that lost their son [ assign ] blame for that it was not possible to help them , and I am very saddened that we were not able to do that " . Morten Strøksnes , author of " Et mord i Kongo " [ " A murder in Congo " ] — and journalist — said in a 20 August 2013 article in " Bergens Tidende " that when his death was made public , " Moland again became the main story in all Norwegian media . The foreign minister and the prime minister announced press conferences . A prisoner on death row in an African prison , and the nation ' s top leadership hastily announces and holds press conferences on a Sunday ! - The foreign minister said that they could have done more . The prime minister said that they had worked hard . He sent a letter ' not too long ago ' . But the letter was sent in March 2012 . " . . . " Norway has erased [ Norwegian kroner ] 143 million of Congo ' s debt , and also funded the nation with another half billion for conservation of rainforest in Congo - without demanding anything in return . - It is easy to imagine how the Congolese have interpreted this : Either as an admission of guilt , or as a signal that Norwegian authorities did not wish that the prisoners should be transferred to their homeland . " On 20 August 2013 " Aftenposten " article quoted Ingrid Samset ( a political scientist ) on her opinion that a publicized suggestion of holding back development aid funds for " the war - torn nation " to pressure DR Congo is not advisable , but instead Norway ought to open an embassy in DR Congo and invest in other ways also — to show that DR Congo is a nation that Norway cares about , even after Moland ' s death .