Thirty-seven individuals, including three Americans, have been handed capital sentences in relation to an attempted coup in Congo.
The accused, which comprised a British, Belgian, Canadian, and various Congolese individuals, have the right to challenge the decision in light of allegations involving terrorism, homicide, and criminal collaboration. The trial, initiated in June, concluded with the acquittal of fourteen defendants.
A botched revolution spearheaded by the lesser-known opposition figure Christian Malanga in May presented a threat to the presidential palace and an ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. The unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of six lives. Malanga met his demise shortly after live-streaming the unrest on his social media, as reported by the Congolese military.
Malanga's 21-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, a U.S. citizen, along with two other Americans, received convictions in connection with the incident. Brittney Sawyer, Marcel's mother, has asserted his innocence, claiming he was only following his father, who viewed himself as the president of an exiled shadow government.
The additional Americans were Tyler Thompson Jr., who joined Marcel in Africa from Utah, supposedly for a vacation, as per his family. The other American was Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is alleged to have had ties with Christian Malanga through a gold mining firm.
Established in Mozambique in 2022, the company was reported about in an official journal released by Mozambique's government and featured in the Africa Intelligence newsletter.
Thompson's family insists he had no understanding of Malanga's objectives, lacked plans for political activism, and initially intended to visit only South Africa and Eswatini. According to Thompson's stepmother.
The trial concluded with the announcement of sentences in a public military court via live television broadcast.
A week ago, the military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, urged the judges to impose capital punishment upon all the defendants, except for one suffering from "mental health issues."
Earlier in the year, Congo brought back capital punishment, ending a more than two-decade hiatus, as officials strive to control violence and militant attacks in the country.
Despite the world's concern over human rights violations in Africa, some countries like Congo are reintroducing capital punishment to quell violence and militant attacks. Marcel Malanga's American associates, Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, found themselves in the heart of this debate when they visited Africa. Thompson, on a supposed vacation, had unknowingly ventured into a complex political landscape in Africa.
