**A court in Democratic Republic of Congo has overturned the death sentences passed on two Norwegians convicted of murdering their driver.**Former soldiers Joshua French, who holds joint British-Norwegian nationality, and Tjostolv Moland were also found guilty of spying for Norway.
The two men lost an appeal at a military tribunal on 3 December 2009.
They and the Norwegian state had also been ordered to pay $500m (£300m) in damages.
But a military judge said the court had not followed the correct procedures and ordered a new trial, reports the AP news agency.
Last year, Norway’s foreign minister said he had been assured that the death sentences would not be carried out.
The rulings drew immediate international protests amid claims of miscarriages of justice.
Moland and French have been held since May 2009 when their Congolese driver was found shot dead.
Both men denied murdering Abedi Kasongo, 47, maintaining that he was shot and killed when their car was ambushed by gunmen on the road near the city of Kisangani.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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