A military court in Congo has rendered a verdict on Friday, sentencing 37 individuals to death, which includes three Americans, after being found guilty of involvement in a coup attempt. The defendants, mostly Congolese, but also including a Briton, Belgian, and Canadian, have the option to appeal the ruling within five days. Among the accusations they faced were attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association. The trial, which began in June, resulted in the acquittal of fourteen individuals.
The presiding judge, Maj. Freddy Ehuma, announced the conviction of all 37 defendants and the imposition of the death penalty during a live broadcast of the open-air military court proceedings. Richard Bondo, representing the six foreigners, expressed concern over the legitimacy of imposing the death penalty in Congo at present, despite its recent reinstatement earlier this year. He also raised issues regarding the insufficient interpretation services provided to his clients during the case investigation. Bondo confirmed their intention to challenge the ruling through an appeal.
The attempted coup, orchestrated by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga in May, resulted in the deaths of six individuals and targeted the presidential palace along with a close associate of President Felix Tshisekedi. Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest shortly after livestreaming the assault on social media. Marcel Malanga, a 21-year-old U.S. citizen and son of Christian Malanga, along with two other Americans, were found guilty for their involvement in the attack. However, Marcel Malanga’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, maintains her son’s innocence, stating he was merely following his father, who claimed to be the president of an exile shadow government.
One of the Americans convicted was Tyler Thompson Jr., who had traveled to Africa from Utah with Marcel Malanga, presumably for a vacation, according to his family. Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, aged 36, reportedly acquainted with Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. The establishment of the company in Mozambique in 2022 was documented in an official journal published by the Mozambican government and reported by the Africa Intelligence newsletter.
The family of Tyler Thompson Jr. asserts that he was unaware of Christian Malanga’s intentions, had no intentions of engaging in political activities, and had planned to travel solely to South Africa and Eswatini along with the Malangas. In a previous statement, the military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, recommended the death penalty for all defendants except one individual stated to be experiencing psychological issues.
Earlier this year, Congo lifted a more than twenty-year-old moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating the measure as part of efforts to combat violence and militant attacks in the nation.
