Kinshasa, Congo — A military tribunal in Congo sentenced 37 individuals, including three U.S. citizens, to death on Friday for their alleged involvement in a failed coup. The accusations against them encompassed terrorism, murder, and criminal association, following a tumultuous trial that commenced in June.
The defendants, a diverse group comprising nationals from Britain, Belgium, the United States, Canada, and Congo, have the opportunity to appeal their convictions. In contrast, 14 others were exonerated in the proceedings, which drew significant international attention.
The deadly attempted coup, orchestrated in May by the relatively obscure opposition leader Christian Malanga, tragically ended with six fatalities. Malanga, who livestreamed the attack via his social media, was later killed while resisting capture, according to official statements from the Congolese military.
Central to this controversial case are Marcel Malanga, the 21-year-old son of Christian Malanga and a U.S. citizen, and two other Americans, Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. According to his mother, Brittney Sawyer, Marcel was unsuspectingly dragged into his father’s machinations, believing his father’s actions were those of the legitimate leader of a government in exile.
Thompson, who had traveled from Utah to Africa with Marcel under the impression they were merely vacationing, was reportedly unaware of any coup plans, as stated by his family. His itinerary was supposed to include only South Africa and Eswatini and not Congo.
Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, aged 36, allegedly became involved through his connection with Christian Malanga via a gold mining enterprise. Public records show this company was established in Mozambique in 2022.
During the trial, the courtroom drama unfolded live on television, with military court president Freddy Ehume announcing, “The court pronounces the harshest sentence: the death penalty for criminal association, the death penalty for attack, the death penalty for terrorism.”
This stern verdict comes shortly after Congo decided to reinstate the death penalty earlier this year, revoking a moratorium that had been in place for over two decades. This shift in judicial practice is part of broader efforts by the Congolese authorities to suppress ongoing violence and insurgencies within the nation.
As the accused and their legal representatives prepare for the appeals process, questions about the fairness of military tribunals and international human rights standards come to the fore. The international community and human rights organizations are likely to keep a closer eye on these developments, as the geopolitical and human rights implications unfold.