Joshua French
Joshua French | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joshua Olav Daniel Hodne French 7 April 1982 |
| Citizenship | British and Norwegian dual citizenship |
| Occupation | Security contractor (former) |
| Criminal status | Released in 2017 |
| Convictions | Murder, espionage |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Accomplice | Tjostolv Moland |
| Details | |
| Victims | Abedi Kasongo, 47 |
Date apprehended | May 2009 |
| Imprisoned at | Kisangani, DR Congo (2009–2017) |
Joshua Olav Daniel Hodne French (born 7 April 1982) is a Norwegian-British man who was convicted of murder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He worked as a security contractor with his friend Tjostolv Moland when they were arrested in May 2009, and he was later convicted of attempted murder, armed robbery, the formation of a criminal association and espionage for Norway, of which he and Moland were found guilty and sentenced to death. In 2014 he was also convicted of the murder of Moland. He was released in 2017 after serving 8 years of his sentence, and returned to Norway.
The trial caused controversy in Norway and Europe, as his mother claimed a lack of physical evidence, and "a clear economic motive from the Congolese government".