(Scypre.com) – A military court in Congo sentenced 37 individuals to death on Friday, including three Americans, after convicting them of participating in an attempted coup. This high-profile trial included both Congolese nationals and foreign defendants from the U.S., Britain, Belgium, and Canada. The verdict came after several weeks of proceedings, with charges ranging from attempted coup and terrorism to criminal association. The court granted the defendants five days to appeal the decision, while 14 others were acquitted during the trial, which began in June.
The open-air court in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, saw the 37 convicted individuals sentenced to death, a punishment delivered by presiding judge Maj. Freddy Ehuma. The verdict, announced in French, was translated for the foreign defendants, including the three Americans, who listened calmly despite the severity of their sentences. The Americans, dressed in prison uniforms, were charged with involvement in the failed coup led by opposition figure Christian Malanga in May. The coup attempt, which targeted President Felix Tshisekedi’s palace, resulted in six deaths. According to Congolese officials, Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest shortly after streaming the attack on social media.
Among the sentenced is Malanga’s 21-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, a U.S. citizen. He was arrested alongside two other Americans, Tyler Thompson Jr., also 21, and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. Marcel claimed in court that his father had coerced him and a friend into participating in the coup under threat of violence. “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” he testified. Others involved in the militia echoed similar stories of threats or deception, with some members believing they were part of a volunteer organization.
Defense lawyer Richard Bondo, representing the six foreign nationals, raised concerns about the death penalty in Congo. Despite its reinstatement earlier this year, he argued that its application remained questionable. Bondo also noted that the foreigners had faced inadequate translation services during the investigation, a point he vowed to challenge on appeal. The military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, had previously called for the death penalty for all but one defendant, who reportedly suffered from psychological issues.
In the U.S., news of the verdict stirred concern, particularly among the families of the three convicted Americans. Marcel Malanga’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, maintains her son’s innocence, arguing that he had been dragged into his father’s plans. Since his arrest, she has campaigned to raise funds for her son, providing him with essential supplies like food, hygiene products, and a bed, as he suffers from a liver condition and has been forced to sleep on the floor of his cell in Ndolo military prison.
Tyler Thompson Jr. had reportedly traveled to Africa with Marcel, believing it was a casual trip. His family insists that he was unaware of Christian Malanga’s plot and had no intention of entering Congo. Initially, the two were set to visit South Africa and Eswatini, according to his stepmother, Miranda Thompson. Reports from Thompson’s former high school teammates suggested that Marcel had offered up to $100,000 to anyone willing to accompany him on a “security job” in Congo.
The U.S. State Department, while monitoring the situation, has yet to declare the three Americans as wrongfully detained. Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court’s decision,” noting that U.S. Embassy personnel have been present throughout the trial. Meanwhile, Utah’s Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee expressed support for the families but stopped short of advocating for the Americans’ immediate release. “Our office has consistently engaged with the State Department and will continue to do so,” said a spokesperson for Romney.
Congo’s reinstatement of the death penalty earlier this year marks a significant shift after a moratorium that lasted over two decades. The government reintroduced the punishment in response to escalating violence and insurgent activity, with previous executions carried out by firing squad. Under Congo’s penal code, the president has the authority to determine the method of execution.