Three American nationals were among 37 other individuals who were sentenced to death on Friday for their alleged involvement in a botched coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to The Associated Press, the case was tried in a military court in the Central African nation.
The three American nationals were identified as Marcel Malanga, 21, Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. Most of the defendants are Congolese while the others include a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian. The defendants, who were found guilty of attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association, have five days to file an appeal against the verdict.
The death penalty in Congo was reinstated at the beginning of the year after authorities issued a moratorium on the punishment over 20 years ago. The lawyer representing the foreigners, Richard Bondo, however, questioned if the death penalty could actually be enforced in the country. Bondo also claimed that his clients were not afforded appropriate investigators when authorities were investigating the May coup attempt, adding that they “will challenge this decision on appeal.”
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Marcel’s father, Christian Malanga, spearheaded the attempted coup. Malanga, who was an opposition figure and a U.S. resident, was among six people killed during the attempted coup. Videos of the attempted coup showed Malanga and his alleged accomplices wielding weapons at the Central African nation’s presidential palace. President Felix Tshisekedi and his close ally were targeted in the attempted coup, The Associated Press reported.
READ ALSO: 7 woefully failed military coup attempts that startled Africa
The Congolese army said Malanga was shot and killed after he resisted arrest. In the wake of their arrest, Marcel claimed he and his high school friend were coerced to participate in the botched coup by his deceased father.
“Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” Marcel claimed. Other accomplices also similarly claimed Malanga threatened them and falsely told them that they had been recruited for a volunteer organization.
Brittney Sawyer, who is Marcel’s mother also claims her son was obeying his father’s orders, adding that the 21-year-old is innocent. The other American nationals, Thompson and Zalman-Polun, reportedly knew Marcel and traveled to Congo with him.
“We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court’s decision,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington on Friday. “Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings as they’ve gone through the process. We continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely.”
U.S. officials are not expected to engage in negotiations with Congolese authorities for the return of the convicted Americans as they have not been declared as wrongfully detained, The Associated Press reported.
READ ALSO: Republic of Congo’s opposition leader gets 20 years in jail for coup attempt
