Joshua and Tjostolv have in the almost last three years been through a lot.
Here are some examples:
-Attempted murder in the jungle
-Attempted murder when they were captured
-Lynch attempt
-Abuse and torture the first time as prisoners
-Had raids in their cell that has developed into dangerous situations, including with the UN present
-Severe disease
-Riots in the prison that lasted over 48 hours.
- Little over a week after they arrived at the Ndolo-prison they experienced that some prisoners tried to escape. Seven were killed and many injured.
- For a period they had many of the injured in their ward and they got shocking treatment. Mentally ill prisoners have been in their ward and with yelling and screaming around the clock.
This is part of what they’ve been through. It has to be taken seriously when Joshua writes HELP twice in his report that I got yesterday and that the situation is dangerous.
The situation has rapidly gotten worse in the Ndolo-prison, especially over the last two weeks.
The two Norwegians have among others been subjected to abuse and they have been beaten up.
Some examples:
- January 7th someone from UN in New York was visiting the prison. Joshua and Tjostolv used the opportunity to tell them a little about what it’s like in the “model” prison Ndolo. After the visitors left Josh and Tjostolv were held down by guards and beaten up by both guards and inmates.
- Tjostolv has among others been hit in the face, he has a cut under his ear; he has a cut in the chin that goes straight in to the bone, he has been bit in the finger in to the bone. Apparently it’s infected and as far as I know he was denied a doctor. With the moist climate and the AIDS risk this is serious. Tjostolv has also been kicked in the back.
They have also:
Been spit in the face
Been racially bullied
Received murder threats by both guards and inmates
Received threats of violence and expose to violence by both guards and inmates
Murder threats and other acts of guards and inmates behavior are encouraged by the prison management
Constant blackmail of money (they have deposited money with the prison management)
Both guards and inmates have stolen from them
Denied medical care
They have been denied calls to the foreign ministry, UN and FCO (British foreign ministry) and family
Their Congolese lawyer have been physically hindered in visiting them
Our volunteers that purchase food and other things they need have been interrogated for hours with the police and have been threatened that they have to pay money to the police.
They haven’t always been able to get in to the prison with food and water etc.
Josh and Tjostolv have to sleep in shifts because the situation is too dangerous for them.
Now their books, their “diaries”, letters, Christmas cards, pictures of the families, DVD player, a well used TV, radio etc have been taken from them by the prison management.
There are six prisoners in their cell at the moment. Two are placed there by the prison management to report everything they do at any time. We have their names. These two try to trick them to do things they can be “taken for”.
It’s 35 degrees Celsius in the cell.
A fan we got for them is turned off and on (to press them for money – they have to pay to get it back on again)
During the night it’s not on at all and that’s unbearable in a cell with six people.
They have been threatened to be moved to a large cell with a lot of prisoners.
It’s normally a high noise level in Congolese prisons.
They make more noise on purpose to annoy the two.
- like have the radio on to high, yell and scream and kick in doors at all hours.
They have been denied medical care.
They have been denied confidential conversations with people with diplomatic immunity (which they are entitled to)
They have been denied visits from their Congolese lawyer.
To survive Joshua and Tjostolv live very disciplined with among others training. They try to prevent this.
They also report that prisoners are being exposed to torture, but haven’t written more about this in this report. (They wrote more about this in their last report)
The prison management places the blame on them for the problems. But that is not very logical. They lived in the Central Prison in Kisangani for two and a half years. There they established a lot of respect from their inmates and others. They did a huge health- and social work in this prison as well. Now, they are finally moved to the Ndolo-prison that possibly is a step closer to Norway. Why would they make problems for themselves? The only things they want is a cell for themselves, and live in peace and quiet and do whatever they need to come home to Norway alive.
Kari Hilde French, February 10th 2012
