A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced three US citizens to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt.
The trio, found guilty of criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and other charges, were handed the death penalty in a televised ruling.
The failed coup attempt involved armed men, led by their leader, a U.S -based Congolese businessman, Christian Malanga, who temporarily seized control of a presidential office in Kinshasa on May 19, but was later killed by security forces.
Marcel Malanga, a US citizen in his early 20s and son of Christian Malanga, was among those on trial, along with friend Tyler Thompson and business associate Benjamin Zalman-Polun.
Marcel Malanga had previously testified that his father had threatened to kill him if he didn’t participate in the coup.
He also stated it was his first visit to Congo, invited by his father whom he hadn’t seen in years.
Among the three Americans are 50 other individuals, including citizens of the US, UK,
Canada, Belgium, and Congo, also stand trial for their roles in the failed coup.
They face charges including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and attempts to destabilize state institutions, with some facing the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.
