Three Americans in Congo Sentenced to Death Following Coup Attempt

Attorneys for Thompson Jr., Zalman-Polun and Malanga said they will appeal.

Three US citizens were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after being convicted of involvement in a failed coup.

One told a judge his father, the man who led the attempt, “had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders”.

After the May attack on the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, planned by Marcel Malanga’s father, Christian Malanga, the lawyer representing 21-year-old Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr. and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is preparing to appeal the conviction.

A State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said on Friday, “We are aware that a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo convicted several defendants, including U.S. citizens, of alleged participation in the attacks against the government on May 19th.” “We are aware that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is the right to appeal a ruling by a court. That proceedings have been attended by staff from the Embassy. We are going to be there to observe the proceedings and closely watch developments.”

When asked whether he had found the legal process fair, he said, “I don’t want to pass judgment on the proceedings so far because we are still in the middle of the legal process.”

The Congolese army reported that six people were killed during the abortive putsch, including Christian Malanga, who was shot and died when he resisted arrest shortly after he live-streamed the attack on social media.

According to an Associated Press report, Marcel Malanga, an American citizen, told the court during the trial that he and his high school friend were forced by their father to take part in the attack.

Marcel Malanga reportedly said, “Dad had threatened to kill us if we didn’t follow his orders.”

According to the AP, other members of the motley militia recalled similar threats from the senior Malanga, and some even talked about how they were tricked into thinking a volunteer group employed them. Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer insists that her son is blameless and was following his father, who considered himself president of a shadow government in exile.

Zalman-Polun is believed to have met Christian Malanga through a gold mining firm; Thompson Jr took the younger Malanga on a free vacation when they travelled to Africa from Utah.

His family said Thompson had no idea what the senior Malanga’s ambitions were, no desire to get involved in politics, and no intention of travelling to the Congo. According to his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told the AP, he and the Malangas were to visit only South Africa and Eswatini.

Utah attorney Skye Lazaro told the news agency, “We urge all who have supported Tyler and the family through this process to reach out to your congressmen and request their intervention in bringing him home.” Lazaro continued that the family is devastated by the ruling.