DR Congo military court sentences 37 to death in coup attempt

A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has sentenced 37 individuals, including three U.S. citizens, to death following their involvement in a failed coup attempt in May.

“The court pronounces the harshest sentence: the death penalty for criminal association, the death penalty for attack, the death penalty for terrorism,” announced court president Freddy Ehume during a live broadcast on Friday. The defendants, who also include a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian, have five days to appeal the decision. Fourteen people were acquitted in the trial that began in June.

Richard Bondo, the attorney representing the six foreign nationals, criticized the trial’s fairness, alleging that the death penalty’s applicability in the DRC was questionable despite its recent reinstatement, and that his clients faced inadequate interpretation services. “We will challenge this decision on appeal,” Bondo told The Associated Press.

The coup attempt, which occurred on May 19, involved armed individuals briefly occupying a presidential office in Kinshasa. The plot’s leader, Christian Malanga, a U.S.-based Congolese politician, was killed by security forces, along with two guards. Malanga, who had once served as a military captain and later founded the opposition United Congolese Party, had returned to the DRC for the coup attempt after years of political activism in the U.S. and Europe.

President Félix Tshisekedi, who began his second term in January amidst election-related turmoil, faces ongoing scrutiny from human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch had urged the Congolese government to ensure the trial adhered to international standards. “The Congolese government needs to treat this crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to human rights and the rule of law,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

The court’s ruling also includes Marcel Malanga, Christian Malanga’s son, along with Taylor Thompson, a high school friend from Utah, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, a business associate of the elder Malanga. A Belgian military expert was also among those sentenced. The DRC reinstated the death penalty in March, citing national security concerns amid ongoing conflicts.