Three U.S. citizens face death penalty for participating in Congo coup attempt

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Three Americans are facing death sentences in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they are charged with trying to help overthrow that country's president.

U.S. citizens Benjamin Zalman-Polun, Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr are among 37 people sentenced to death Friday for their part in a short-lived attempt to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi.

Thomson and Malanga attended school together in Utah and traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo together.

Six people were killed, including opposition leader Christian Malanga on 19 May, that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Félix Tshisekedi.

Tshisekedi was sworn in as president of the French-speaking Central Africa nation in 2019.

Malanga was among those killed when he resisted arrest after briefly occupying the presidential palace.

Marcel Malanga is Christian Malanga's son. The elder Malanga was a Congolese politician stationed in the United States before taking part in the coup attempt, which he live streamed, according to the country's army.

A British citizen, a Canadian national and Belgian citizen are also among the sentenced to death. The remainder of those convicted are Congolese.

The defendants have five days to appeal the decision of the military court. The trial took place in June, following the May coup attempt. In addition to the 37 convictions, 14 more people were acquitted in the proceedings.

The U.S. State Department has not declared the three Americans wrongfully convicted, meaning the federal government is less likely to advocate on their behalf or intervene.

"We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court's decision," State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told NBC News in an interview.