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abujagirl
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Norwegian citizens Tjostolv Moland, left, and Joshua French, right, were sentence at a court in Congo in 2009
Tjostolv Moland, one of two Norwegian men jailed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on murder, espionage and conspiracy charges, has been found dead in his cell, his lawyer and officials said.
Joshua French, British-Norwegian citizen who was imprisoned alongside Moland in 2009, is upset but in good health.
The cause of death was not immediately clear, attorney Hans Marius Graasvold said on Sunday.
Moland and French were sentenced to death in Congo for the murder of their driver, Abedi Kasongo, and the attempted murder of a witness. The court in the northeastern city of Kinsangani also convicted them of spying for Norway because they were carrying military ID cards at the time.
They denied the charges and the Norwegian government has denied that they were spies.
Congo's information minister, Lambert Mende, said the Congolese government is investigating Moland's death.
"We're trying to determine whether it was suicide or homicide. It looks like suicide but we're not sure," he told the news agency.
Norwegian authorities have tried to have the two transferred to serve their sentences in Norway and have also worked closely with Britain to put pressure on the Congolese officials to pardon the two.
With Moland dead , the main focus of the case has now been shifted on how to get French home safely, Graasvold added.
