A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sentenced 37 people to death on Friday for their involvement in a failed coup on May 19, 2024.
Among those sentenced were three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian, all accused of attempting to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi.
The convicted persons have five days to appeal against the sentences. The coup plot involved an attack on both the president’s palace and the residence of his close ally, Vital Kamerhe.
The leader of the coup, Christian Malanga, a self-exiled Congolese opposition figure, was killed during the attack, along with five others. A total of 51 individuals were tried in a military court, with 14 acquitted.
The son of Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, was one of the Americans sentenced to death. He testified that his father had threatened him into participating. His American friend, Tyler Thompson, was also sentenced. Both men are in their 20s and have lived and played football together in Utah.
Another American, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, who was sentenced, had business ties with Christian Malanga.
Furthermore, a dual citizen of Belgium and Congo, Jean-Jacques Wondo, and British national Youssouf Ezangi, were also sentenced. Ezangi was accused of recruiting participants for the coup.
Although the death penalty has not been enforced in the DRC for around 20 years, the government lifted a moratorium on executions in March. Despite this, no executions have been carried out since then.
Read More: DR Congo Army Stops Coup Attempt, Kills Mastermind
U.S. Citizens Involved in Congo Coup Tell Court They Were Forced To Join
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