Lawyer Appeals Death Sentences for Three Americans Convicted in Congo Coup Attempt

The lawyer representing three Americans sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for their involvement in an alleged coup attempt has filed an appeal, according to statements made Tuesday, September 17.

The Americans, along with 34 other individuals, were convicted last week in a military court.

On Friday, September 13, the court handed down death sentences to 37 people, including the three Americans, for their roles in the failed coup.

The charges included attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association. The majority of those convicted were Congolese nationals, though the group also included a Briton, Belgian, and Canadian. Fourteen others were acquitted during the trial.

Among the Americans sentenced were 21-year-old Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr., as well as 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun.

Malanga is the son of Christian Malanga, the opposition figure who led the failed May coup against President Felix Tshisekedi’s regime.

The older Malanga was killed by Congolese forces after live-streaming the attack on social media.

The younger Malanga, a U.S. citizen, testified during the trial that his father had forced him and his friend, Tyler Thompson, to participate in the coup under death threats.

“Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” Marcel said.

Thompson, who had flown to Congo from Utah, believed he was going on a vacation, his family claimed.

Zalman-Polun, the third American, reportedly knew Christian Malanga through a gold mining venture and was also swept up in the coup attempt.

The coup attempt, which left six people dead, targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Tshisekedi.

While Christian Malanga was killed during the botched operation, authorities arrested his son and the two other Americans shortly after.

The three Americans and the other defendants now face execution by firing squad, pending the outcome of the appeal.

Read: Gunshots Fired as EFCC Attempts to Arrest Ex-Gov. Yahaya Bello at Kogi Governor’s Lodge

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