A military court in Congo sentenced two Norwegians to death yesterday and ordered them and their government to pay over $60 million in damages after the pair were convicted of murder and espionage.

Norway immediately rejected the central African nation's accusations of spying and said it would try to block any execution. A senior Congolese lawmaker said the pair would not be executed as the punishment was now unconstitutional in Congo.

The Norwegians, Joshua French, 27, and Tjostolv Moland, 28, were charged with murder, espionage and arms smuggling after their driver was found dead in May this year with a gunshot wound to his head near the city of Kisangani, in Democratic Republic of Congo's lawless east.

"The court declares that all crimes are established in fact and in law... and sentences Tjostolv Moland to the death penalty... and Joshua French to the death penalty," an unnamed officer told a packed courthouse.

The court also ruled that Norway and the two men will have to pay the Congolese state $60 million, on top of tens of thousands of dollars in compensation to members of the driver's family. The ruling was met with cheers in the courthouse.

Mr Moland and Mr French have said they are innocent and, contrary to a statement made by the court, are no longer linked in any way to Norway's military.

"It is very serious that two Norwegians have been given a death sentence. Norway will use all means and channels available to prevent these Norwegians being killed," Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norway's foreign minister, told re-porters yesterday.

Human rights violations are rampant in Congo and courts are widely accused of corruption and inefficiency but President Joseph Kabila has de facto blocked executions since 2003.

"They will not be executed. The death penalty is unconstitutional," said Senator Leonard She Okitundu, citing inconsistencies be-tween the penal code and the constitution.