The transfer to the Ndolo prison in Kinshasa has created some challenges, not just for Joshua and Tjostolv who were to establish themselves in a new prison but for us in the families as well. They were first taken for being from Belgium, and that wasn’t popular, but they’ve gotten respect and we assume with their experience from two prisons in Kinshasa are fit to handle this kind of challenges! It hasn’t been easy for us either. The first week they were there they used the prisoner phone. The last time I spoke to Josh on that they both timed it to see how much money he owed. So it’s not easy for us to know exactly what they need and how they’re really doing because it has to go through other people. Do they get to exercise etc? That’s important for the psychics. How are the people they share the cell with like? How are the guards? For us who don’t speak French the communication is also a challenge. There is also a challenge to organize a well functioning support system for them.
Minister Alida Endresen had other things to do a few days after Josh and Tjostolv were moved to Kinshasa, and are away from Kinshasa for a month. But luckily the vice consul from the British embassy could visit them and get food and household articles. Everything from drinking water and toilet paper has to be provided for them. I’m in contact with both her and a representative from British foreign ministry in London. The vice consul said it’s a “pleasure” to visit them in prison, and that’s nice to hear. I think the British have more citizens in prison in Congo so it’s not just Joshua they visit. (Tjostolv is not a British citizen, but benefits from Joshua being one). But now the British vice consul goes on Christmas holiday so we are working on the Salvation Army getting a good routine with visits and shopping groceries before Christmas starts and during the Christmas days. There is holiday all over.
The uncertainty in Kinshasa after the election results were made public led to many people were laying low for a while. Text messages were stopped to and from Congo and we’ve had difficulty getting mails through to the Salvation Army. That has been solved by mailing to the main office in London. I spoke on the phone yesterday to someone from the Salvation Army in Kinshasa. He had been to the prison with four chickens (I don’t know if they were alive or dead), potatoes, pasta, cheese, onions, tomatoes, milk etc. Here as in Kisangani they have to pay a certain amount to the guards at the prison gate.
Both Norwegian and British authorities have worked on getting a cell for just the two of them. So far they have not succeeded. There are some cells for two available. There are also nicer cells if generals are imprisoned. But they don’t have that rank according to the verdicts!
Lawyers Furuholmen and Marius Dietrichson have had a meeting with the foreign ministry now in December and in the middle of December they were at a meeting in London with lawyers and representatives from the Death Penalty Project and Reprieve.
Regarding the escape attempt/riot at the Ndolo prison a week after Josh and Tjostolv got there we have mixed information. The last I heard 7 people were involved (two as helpers). Three were killed.
Kari Hilde French, December 21st 2011
