The Judgement
Yesterday, the judgement was handed down in the appeals case. One of the judges, Colonel Fredric Embu, wanted to discard the death penalties. He is interested in human rights and has higher ambitions in this direction than his fellow judges as far as moving Congo towards better judicial conditions, both for foreigners and their own citizens. We expected the judgement to be more or less the same as before. One surprise was that Joshua got a 20-year life sentence in addition. So, now Tjostolv has 5 death sentences and 20 years of life sentence and Joshua has 4 death sentences and 20 years of life sentence. In addition, there are the compensation sums, that are difficult to relate to. That they are being imprisoned as hostages for financial reward, there is little doubt.
Joshua's sister and I sat and watched the case at home, together with a reporter from the BBC.
He has sent small news segments about the case back to the county we live in in the UK on both 2nd and 3rd December.
Additionally, we've have some dealings with BBC radio and journalists in the same county.
Comments to some of the statements by researchers and the media
One thing that astounds me is some of the quotes in and by the media here in Norway.
NUPI researcher Randi Solhell and FAFO researcher Bøås seem not to understand that Tjostolv has been psychotic and is now simply borderline psychotic. In a quote from 3rd December, in Dagbladet, Solhell says, "I don't understand why he brought it up; Nkunda has been a big problem in eastern Congo."
Joshua has told us that Tjostolv 'adopts' his reality from things that have been said in the press (they've had some press cuttings from Norway), from journalists who've visited and asked questions, and from the investigators and prosecuting staff. The new 'adopted' reality shows itself in the next round of proceedings and becomes part of Tjostolv's statements and clarifications, thus becoming the basis for the court to find him guilty. Just because Tjostolv was calm in court, doesn't mean he's regained his mental health. And he didn't get the psychiatric help promised from the capital by the court.
Chemical torture
We have also heard that Tjostolv did not only receive medication that supposedly should help for psychosis, but he was actually drugged down, making him an addict. Probably to get him into a situation where the military could get him to do exactly what they wanted. This is very serious. It is called chemical torture.
