Three Americans get death sentence in Democratic Republic of Congo over ‘failed coup attempt’
Three Americans get death sentence in Democratic Republic of Congo over ‘failed coup attempt’
The US citizens testified they were tortured and that their statements were extracted under duress without an interpreter.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 37 people, including three US citizens, were sentenced to death by a military tribunal on Friday for their involvement in a failed coup attempt earlier this summer.
The verdict follows a three-month trial related to the events of May 19, when a group of armed individuals, led by US resident Christian Malanga—a Congolese political exile—attempted to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi.
According to NPR, Malanga and dozens of men attacked the residence of Vital Kamerhe, a key ally of President Tshisekedi. After the attack, the group stormed a presidential complex, waving flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Congolese security forces swiftly responded, killing six people during the confrontation, including Malanga himself.
Among those captured were three Americans: 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, Christian Malanga’s son; 21-year-old Tyler Thompson from Utah, whose family believed he was on vacation; and 36-year-old Maryland resident Benjamin Zalman-Polun.
Following the coup attempt, 51 people were tried in Kinshasa on charges that included murder, terrorism, and criminal conspiracy. The trial took place after the Congolese government lifted its moratorium on capital punishment in March, reinstating the death penalty to counter what it described as “treachery.”
Several of the defendants, including the three Americans, claimed they were tortured during their detention. Marcel Malanga testified in August that he and others were beaten and coerced into making statements under duress. He also noted the lack of an interpreter during his interrogation.
“At the first underground place we were at, we were getting beaten and tortured,” Marcel Malanga claimed. The Americans further claimed they were forced at gunpoint to participate in the coup, acting out of fear for their lives.
Meanwhile, most Congolese nationals involved argued they had been recruited by Christian Malanga under the pretext of working for his NGO. However, the court dismissed this defense and rejected arguments that testimony obtained through coercion should be considered illegitimate.
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