Kinshasa, DR Congo — Prosecutors in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for the death penalty for 50 defendants, including three Americans, involved in a failed coup attempt earlier this year. The trial, which began in June, centers on an attack led by opposition figure Christian Malanga in May, aimed at the presidential palace and an ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.
Military prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu requested that all those on trial be sentenced to death, except for one defendant with “psychological problems.” The charges against the defendants include terrorism, murder, and criminal association, many of which are punishable by death under Congolese law.
The failed coup resulted in six deaths. Christian Malanga, who led the attack, was shot and killed by security forces shortly after he live-streamed the assault on social media. His 21-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, a U.S. citizen, and two other Americans are among those facing charges. Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has asserted his innocence, claiming he merely followed his father and had no involvement in the coup attempt.
The two other Americans on trial are Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36. Thompson traveled to Africa from Utah under the belief that he was going on vacation, funded by Christian Malanga. His family asserts he had no knowledge of any political intentions and was only supposed to visit South Africa and Eswatini.
Zalman-Polun, connected to Malanga through a gold mining venture in Mozambique, is also implicated in the trial. His involvement, according to reports, was linked to business rather than political activities.
In a significant legal shift, the DR Congo reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, ending a two-decade moratorium as part of efforts to combat rising violence and militant attacks. The trial and the call for capital punishment have drawn international attention, raising questions about the implications for justice and human rights in the region.