US nationals face death penalty for ‘attempting’ coup in African state

The three are among 51 people arrested in May in connection with a failed military takeover in the DR Congo

Prosecutors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have demanded the death penalty for 50 people, including three Americans, for their alleged involvement in a recent failed coup in the Central African state.

During the trial in Kinshasa on Tuesday, military prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu Bashiru asked judges to impose capital punishment on all suspects, with the exception of one suffering from “psychological problems.”

A group of gunmen in military uniforms briefly seized office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on May 19 in Kinshasha after storming the home of his ally Vital Kamerhe – the current speaker of the National Assembly.

Six people were reportedly killed during the raids, including two police officers who were assigned to protect Kamerhe. The coup leader, Congolese politician Christian Malanga – who obtained US citizenship while living in exile – was killed by security forces in the standoff. The self-proclaimed problem solver had vowed to put an end to the “corruption and political gridlock” in Kinshasa during the attempted takeover, which he livestreamed on Facebook.

The suspects arrested following the incident, including a Belgian, a British national, and a Canadian, have been on trial since June on charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, terrorism, and other offenses.

READ MORE: US defendants in failed African coup cite coercion

Two of the US defendants – Marcel Malanga, who is Christian Malanga’s son, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun – told the court during a previous hearing last month that the coup leader had threatened to kill them if they refused to join.

Marcel, 21, claimed he had traveled to the DR Congo – his first-ever visit to the conflict-torn country – at his father’s invitation and had no prior knowledge of the plot.

Zalman-Polun, 36, also stated that while he was a long-time business associate of Christian Malanga, he did not take part in planning the coup attempt.

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Tyler Thompson, 21, reportedly flew from Utah to Kinshasa with Marcel Malanga, with the coup leader paying for all expenses. Thompson’s family, who thought he was on vacation, claims he was unaware of Malanga’s intentions, according to AP.

On Tuesday, Radjabu Bashiru urged the judges to apply provisions of the country’s military penal code by imposing “a single sentence, the strongest, namely the death penalty,” on the 50 defendants.

President Tshisekedi won a second term in December and lifted the DR Congo’s moratorium on capital punishment in March, citing the need to rid the army of traitors and combat a surge in terrorism.