PROSECUTORS in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have called for the death penalty for 50 individuals, including three American citizens, over their alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt earlier this year. The demand was made on Tuesday by military prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu, who urged the court to impose the maximum penalty on all defendants except one, who is reportedly suffering from psychological issues.
The trial, which began in June, involves a range of charges including terrorism, murder, and criminal association, many of which carry the death penalty under Congolese law. The defendants are accused of participating in a coup attempt in May led by Christian Malanga, a little-known opposition figure. The attempt targeted the presidential palace and an ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.
During the failed coup, six people were killed. Malanga, who had declared himself the president of a shadow government in exile, was fatally shot by Congolese forces after resisting arrest. The incident was live-streamed on his social media before he was apprehended.
Among the defendants are Malanga’s 21-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, who holds US citizenship, and two other Americans—Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. The three men are accused of supporting the coup plot, though their families insist they are innocent.
Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has defended her son, stating he was simply following his father and had no involvement in the coup plot. Similarly, Thompson’s family maintains that he was unaware of the elder Malanga’s intentions and had only travelled to Africa for what he believed was a vacation. Thompson and Marcel were high school friends from the Salt Lake City suburbs, and Thompson’s family claims the trip was supposed to include only visits to South Africa and Eswatini.
Zalman-Polun, the third American on trial, reportedly knew Christian Malanga through a gold mining venture in Mozambique. This connection has raised suspicions about his involvement in the coup attempt, though the full extent of his role remains unclear.
Earlier this year, Congo reinstated the death penalty, ending a more than two-decade-long moratorium as the government struggles to curb rising violence and militant attacks. The trial of these 50 individuals, including the three Americans, underscores the heightened tensions and severe measures being taken by the Congolese authorities in response to perceived threats to the nation’s stability.
About The Author
