How three US men ended up facing death penalty over Congo coup attempt

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — 

A subject tribunal successful Democratic Republic of Congo, 1 of Africa's largest countries, has convicted 3 Americans and dozens of others of taking portion successful a coup effort and imposed "the harshest penalty, that of death."

The tribunal convicted the 37 defendants, including the 3 Americans and imposed the decease punishment successful a verdict delivered by presiding justice Maj. Freddy Ehuma astatine an open-air subject tribunal proceeding.

The defendants, a bulk of them Congolese but besides including a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian, were charged with terrorism, murder, transgression relation and amerciable possession of weapons, among different charges.

The lawyer who defended the six foreigners said they would entreaty the verdicts.

The U.S. State Department powerfully discourages question to Congo, informing of convulsive transgression and civilian unrest. Here's however the 3 Americans ended up successful the mediate of the coup attempt.

What happened during the coup effort successful May?

In Congo's superior Kinshasa, a ragtag radical including 3 Americans tried to unseat the country's President Felix Tshisekedi. They were led by a little-known absorption figure, Christian Malanga, who sold utilized cars and dabbled successful golden mining earlier persuading his Utah-born lad to articulation successful the foiled coup.

The coup effort began astatine the Kinshasa residence of Tshisekedi's adjacent ally, Vital Kamerhe, a national legislator and a campaigner for Speaker of the National Assembly of Congo. His guards killed immoderate of the attackers, officials said.

Christian Malanga, meanwhile, was live-streaming video from the statesmanlike palace successful which helium is seen surrounded by respective equipped men successful subject uniforms wandering astir successful the mediate of the night. He was aboriginal killed portion resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said.

Dozens, including Malanga's lad and 2 different Americans, were arrested and brought to a high-security subject situation successful Kinshasa. Family members said the young men person been sleeping connected the floor, struggling with wellness issues and person had to wage for nutrient and hygiene products.

Christian Malanga, the improbable coup leader

Malanga, who was calved successful Kinshasa, had described himself arsenic a exile who thrived aft settling successful the U.S. with his household successful the 1990s. He said helium became a person of a Congolese absorption governmental enactment and met high-level officials successful Washington and the Vatican. He besides described himself arsenic a devoted hubby and begetter of eight.

Court records and interviews overgarment different picture. In 2001, the twelvemonth helium turned 18, Malanga was convicted successful Utah of battle with a firearm, which resulted successful a 30-day jailhouse condemnation and 3 years of probation. That aforesaid year, helium was charged with home unit battle successful 1 incidental and artillery and disturbing the bid successful another, but helium pleaded not blameworthy and each counts successful some cases were dismissed.

In 2004, helium was charged with home unit with menace of utilizing a unsafe weapon, but helium pleaded not blameworthy and the charges were again dismissed. Since 2004, records amusement respective cases related to a custody quality and a kid enactment dispute.

How 3 young Americans got progressive successful a coup attempt

The 3 imprisoned Americans are Malanga's 21-year-old lad Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, who flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his household believed was a escaped vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is reported to person known Christian Malanga done a golden mining company.

Marcel Malanga is simply a U.S. national and was calved successful Utah. He told the tribunal his begetter had threatened to termination him and Thompson if they did not instrumentality portion successful the attack.

His mother, Brittney Sawyer, has said her lad is guiltless and was simply pursuing his father, who considered himself president of a shadiness authorities successful exile.

Thompson was his precocious schoolhouse person and shot teammate successful the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan. He was the lone erstwhile teammate to judge Marcel Malanga's invitation to question to Congo, according to respective different players who told The Associated Press they had been invited to what the younger Malanga pitched interchangeably arsenic a household abrogation oregon arsenic a work travel to physique wells. Other teammates alleged that Marcel Malanga had offered up to $100,000 to articulation him connected a "security job" successful Congo.

Thompson's household maintains helium had nary cognition of the elder Malanga's intentions, nary plans for governmental activism and didn't adjacent program to participate Congo. He and the Malangas were meant to question lone to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said.

Here's what happens next

All of those convicted person 5 days to entreaty the verdict. Richard Bondo, the lawyer who defended the Americans and 3 different foreigners, said helium plans to bash so.

Congo reinstated the decease punishment earlier this year, lifting a much than two-decade-old moratorium, arsenic authorities conflict to curb unit and militant attacks successful the country. The men convicted successful the coup effort would apt beryllium executed by firing squad.

The U.S. State Department has not declared the Americans wrongfully detained, making it improbable that U.S. officials would effort to negociate their return.