A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 37 individuals to death on Friday, including three Americans, after convicting them on charges of participating in an attempted coup. The defendants, most of whom were Congolese, along with a Briton, Belgian, and Canadian, now have five days to appeal the ruling.
The charges against them include attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association, all tied to an attack earlier this year.
The trial, which began in June, ended with the presiding judge, Major Freddy Ehuma, delivering the verdict at an open-air military court in Kinshasa, the country’s capital. The proceedings were broadcast live on national television, as the judge imposed the death penalty on the 37 individuals. Fourteen others who had been on trial were acquitted.
Among those sentenced to death were three Americans, identified as Marcel Malanga, 21, Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36. They sat quietly, dressed in blue and yellow prison uniforms, as a translator explained the sentences handed down to them. The sentences were part of a broader crackdown on those accused of being involved in the attempted coup, which targeted Congo’s presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.
The attempted coup, which took place in May, was led by Christian Malanga, an opposition figure with little public presence before the attack. Six people were killed during the coup attempt, and Malanga himself was shot and killed while resisting arrest, according to the Congolese army. He had live-streamed parts of the attack on social media before his death, claiming to be the leader of a shadow government in exile.
Marcel Malanga, one of the Americans sentenced to death, is the son of Christian Malanga. His mother, Brittney Sawyer, has maintained that her son is innocent and was merely following his father without fully understanding the situation. Sawyer has stated that her son’s actions were not motivated by any political ambitions and that he was drawn into the situation by his father’s influence.
The second American sentenced, Tyler Thompson Jr., reportedly traveled from Utah to Africa with the younger Malanga, under the impression that he was going on a vacation. His family has expressed shock over the conviction and maintains that Thompson had no idea what he was getting involved in. According to them, he was unaware of the planned coup and had simply trusted his friend.
The third American, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is said to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. His connection to the coup attempt remains unclear, but he, too, was convicted of playing a role in the attack.
The attempted coup was aimed at President Tshisekedi’s administration, with Malanga and his associates targeting the presidential palace and close allies of the president. The coup plotters failed in their attempt to seize control, and in the ensuing chaos, six individuals lost their lives. Christian Malanga was killed during the government’s efforts to quell the coup attempt.
Congo has faced significant internal challenges in recent years, with escalating violence and militant attacks across the country. In an effort to control the rising tide of violence, the government reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, ending a moratorium that had been in place for more than two decades. The government’s decision to reinstate capital punishment was met with criticism from human rights organizations, but officials in Congo argued that the harsh penalty was necessary to deter those plotting violence or attempting to overthrow the government.
Under Congo’s penal code, the president has the authority to determine the method of execution. Historically, executions in Congo have been carried out by a firing squad, although there has been no official statement from the government regarding how or when the death sentences will be carried out in this particular case.
The court’s decision to sentence the 37 individuals to death has sparked concern among international observers, especially with the inclusion of foreign nationals, such as the three Americans, among those convicted. The United States government has not yet commented on the case, but it is expected that diplomatic efforts may be undertaken to prevent the execution of its citizens.
The reinstatement of the death penalty in Congo has further complicated the political situation in the country. Congo has long been struggling with internal conflicts, and its government has faced numerous challenges in maintaining order and preventing attacks by militant groups. The recent attempted coup is just one of many violent incidents that have threatened the country’s stability.
In addition to the three Americans, the individuals sentenced to death include nationals from Belgium, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The involvement of foreign nationals in the coup attempt has raised questions about international connections to Congolese opposition groups and has heightened diplomatic tensions.
As the five-day appeal window begins, the families of those convicted are expected to continue fighting the verdicts. The case has drawn significant attention due to the international nature of the defendants and the severity of the sentences. Meanwhile, Congolese authorities maintain that they are committed to securing the country and preventing any further attempts to destabilize the government.
For now, the fate of the 37 convicted individuals hangs in the balance, as their lawyers prepare to file appeals in an attempt to overturn the death sentences. The international community will be watching closely as Congo continues to grapple with its internal struggles and the repercussions of this high-profile case.
