US Nationals Face Death Penalty for Alleged Coup Attempt in DR Congo

Two US nationals are at risk of the death penalty in the Democratic Republic of Congo after being accused of attempting a coup, according to recent reports.

The prosecution team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has requested capital punishment for 50 individuals, among them three Americans. They stand accused of participating in a recent unsuccessful coup attempt within the Central African nation.

In the Kinshasa trial held on Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu Bashiru, the military prosecutor requested that all defendants be given the death penalty except for one individual who was dealing with “psychological issues.”

On May 19 in Kinshasha, a gang of armed men wearing military uniforms temporarily took control of the office belonging to Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi. Prior to this attack, they invaded the home owned by his associate Vital Kamerhe – who currently serves as Speaker for the National Assembly.

According to reports, the raids resulted in the deaths of six individuals. Among them were two police officers who had been designated to safeguard Kamerhe. Christian Malanga, a Congolese politician and coup leader who obtained US citizenship while living in exile, was also killed by security forces during the confrontation. He had declared himself as someone capable of solving problems and committed to putting an end to political gridlock and corruption within Kinshasa; his efforts were livestreamed on Facebook during this attempted takeover.

Since June, a Belgian, a British individual and a Canadian have stood on trial for various criminal charges such as conspiracy to commit crimes, terrorism activities and homicide.

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During a prior hearing last month, Marcel Malanga and Benjamin Zalman-Polun of the US defendants stated to the court that they were threatened with death by the coup leader if they declined involvement. Marcel Malanga is Christian Malanga’s son.

At 21 years old, Marcel asserted that he went to the DR Congo on his father’s invitation with no previous awareness of the conspiracy. This was his inaugural trip to the country plagued by conflict.

Despite being a longstanding business associate of Christian Malanga, Zalman-Polun, aged 36, asserted that he was not involved in the organization of the attempted coup.

It has been reported that Marcel Malanga, the coup leader, covered all expenses for 21-year-old Tyler Thompson’s trip from Utah to Kinshasa. Despite his family thinking he was on vacation, they claim Thompson had no knowledge of Malanga’s intentions. This information comes from AP sources.

Radjabu Bashiru implored the judges on Tuesday to enforce the military penal code of their country and administer a maximum sentence, which would be capital punishment for all 50 accused individuals.

In December, President Tshisekedi secured his re-election for a second term and subsequently lifted DR Congo’s moratorium on capital punishment in March. His decision to do so was based on the necessity of eliminating traitors from within the army while also combating an increase in terrorist activity.