Prosecutors have called for 50 individuals, including three Americans, to face the death penalty for their alleged involvement in a coup attempt earlier this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese army claims that the attempted coup, led by opposition figure Christian Malanga, resulted in six fatalities and targeted key government installations.
Military prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu has urged the judges to impose the death penalty on all defendants except for one individual who reportedly suffers from psychological issues. The charges against the defendants, which include terrorism, murder, and criminal association, carry severe penalties, including death.
Christian Malanga, the leader of the failed coup, was fatally shot by the Congolese army during his arrest. His 21-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, who holds US citizenship, along with two other Americans, are currently on trial for their alleged roles in the coup attempt.
Marcel Malanga's mother, Brittney Sawyer, has maintained her son's innocence, stating that he was merely following his father's lead. One of the other American defendants, Tyler Thompson Jr., was reportedly unaware of the elder Malanga's intentions and had no plans for political activism. Thompson's family asserts that he was meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, not Congo.
The third American defendant, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is said to have had connections to Christian Malanga through a gold mining company established in Mozambique in 2022.
Earlier this year, the Democratic Republic of Congo reinstated the death penalty after a moratorium of over two decades. The move was made in response to escalating violence and militant activities within the country.
