The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced 37 people to death in connection with the failed coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi in May. Six of the defendants on death row are foreigners, three of whom are Americans.
The attempted coup on May 19, 2024 Mastermind The perpetrator of the attempted coup was an eccentric opposition leader and businessman named Christian Malanga, who was killed by security forces. Malanga was a naturalized U.S. citizen who had lived in Utah for more than 20 years. He allegedly succeeded in recruiting several U.S. citizens into his coup plot, disguising it as high-paying security contracts and luxury vacations to Africa.
Among those Malanga tried to recruit were his son Marcel Malanga's high school football teammates. One of those teammates was Daniel Gonzalez. said Malanga offered to pay up to $100,000 for four months to work as a security guard in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gonzalez turned down the offer because he considered the details unclear.
Marcel Malanga, now 21, was one of three Americans. Sentenced to Death The other two were Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, a classmate of Marcel's who had reportedly expected to join the Malanga family on a trip to Africa, and Benjamin Ruben Zalman Porn, 36, a business associate of Christian Malanga.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Friday that the Biden administration is aware that three Americans have been sentenced to death but has not yet sought to intervene in the case or accuse the Democratic Republic of Congo of unjustly detaining U.S. citizens.
“My understanding is that the legal process in the Democratic Republic of Congo allows a defendant to appeal a court decision,” Miller said, referring to the five-day appeal period allowed under DRC law.
“Embassy staff have been present at the proceedings throughout the process, and we will continue to be present at the proceedings and monitor developments closely,” Miller said.
Lawyers for the six foreign nationals on death row sounded less optimistic about the situation than Biden's State Department. Attorney Richard Bond said his clients did not receive proper interpretation services during the investigation and may not have fully understood the danger they were in.
Marcel Malanga told the trial he does not speak the language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo and claimed he took part in the attempted coup because his father had threatened to kill him.
The other three foreigners were a Belgian, a Canadian and a British national. Reportedly A naturalized citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Belgian Jean-Jacques Wondo was a military expert. Claimed Tshisekedi's government asked him to consult on intelligence reform. Wondo said he had nothing to do with the attempted coup and that he was framed by opponents within the DRC's intelligence services. Prosecutors alleged that Wondo was a key member of the coup plotters and used his connections in the intelligence services to keep Malanga's operations secret until they were ready to strike.
Wondo's wife pleaded with Tshisekedi to grant him leniency because his health had “deteriorated” in prison and he “urgently needs medical attention.”
“As all observers have noted, the case against Mr Wond is flimsy and his arrest is political,” said Broderlijk Deren, the Flemish development agency that employs Mr Wond.
British people sentenced to death Reportedly Yousuf Ezangui, a 53-year-old London plumber, is one of the few foreign defendants suspected of being involved in the failed coup. According to Congolese authorities, he said Malanga told him the plot to depose or kill Tshisekedi had “American backing.”
Little information has been released about the Canadian defendants. Global Affairs Canada said: said CBC News said Saturday that it was “aware of reports that a Canadian national has been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo” and that it was providing “consular assistance” to the defendant.
The military courts Sentenced Thirty-one Congolese were indicted and 14 suspects were acquitted. Friday's hearing took place inside a tent in the courtyard of Kinshasa's military prison and was televised nationally.
The Democratic Republic of Congo banned the death penalty in 2003. Returned The Democratic Republic of Congo's government plans to abolish the death penalty in March 2024 as it cracks down on militant attacks in eastern Congo. The country's justice ministry said the reinstated death penalty would be limited to “criminal conspiracy, armed groups, rebellion, treason and war crimes.”
