Three U.S. Citizens Sentenced to Death in Congo After Failed Coup: Inside the Shocking Verdict

• Sep 14, 2024

In a dramatic courtroom scene in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), three U.S. citizens were sentenced to death on Friday, along with 34 others, for their involvement in a failed coup attempt earlier this year. The sentences were handed down by a military court and broadcast live on television, marking a high-profile moment in a trial that has attracted international attention.

The coup attempt, which occurred on May 19, involved a group of armed men who briefly took control of a presidential office in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC. The leader of the group, Christian Malanga, a Congolese politician based in the U.S., was killed by security forces during the incident. Among the defendants were his son, Marcel Malanga, and his two American associates, Tyler Thompson and Benjamin Zalman-Polun. All three men were found guilty of charges including criminal conspiracy and terrorism.

Marcel Malanga, who is in his 20s, claimed in court that he was forced to participate in the coup by his father, threatening his life if he refused. According to Marcel, this was his first time in Congo, and he had come at his father’s invitation, despite not having seen him for years. His friend, Tyler Thompson, a former high school football player from Utah, also faced the death sentence, despite family claims that he had simply traveled to Congo for a vacation. Thompson’s stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said her stepson had gone to explore the world but found himself caught in the midst of a violent political struggle.

The third American, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, was reportedly a business associate of Christian Malanga. He was also found guilty and sentenced to death along with the others. In total, 37 defendants were sentenced to death in the trial, which began in July, while several others, including citizens from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Belgium, and Congo, also faced charges.

The courtroom, set up under a tent at the Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa, was filled with defendants dressed in blue and yellow prison uniforms. Family members of the defendants, including Marcel Malanga’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, and Thompson’s relatives, have maintained their loved ones’ innocence throughout the proceedings. Sawyer expressed her belief that her son was unjustly involved, while Thompson’s family set up a fundraising site to support his legal defense, reporting that he felt isolated and lonely in prison.