The 37 defendants, including the three Americans, were handed down the death penalty by presiding judge Maj. Freddy Ehuma during an open-air military court proceeding. The group of defendants, primarily Congolese but also including a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian, faced charges such as terrorism , murder, criminal association, and illegal possession of weapons, among others.
The lawyer representing the six foreigners announced plans to appeal the verdicts. The US State Department strongly advises against travel to Congo due to risks of violent crime and civil unrest.
How three Americans found themselves embroiled in coup attempt
The coup attempt unfolded in May in Congo's capital, Kinshasa. A ragtag group, including three Americans, attempted to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi.
They were led by Christian Malanga, a relatively unknown opposition figure who had previously sold used cars and dabbled in gold mining before convincing his Utah-born son to participate in the failed coup. The coup attempt was initiated at the Kinshasa residence of Tshisekedi's close ally, Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator and candidate for Speaker of the National Assembly of Congo.
Some of the attackers were killed by his guards, officials reported. Christian Malanga was reportedly live-streaming video from the presidential palace, surrounded by several armed men in military uniforms wandering around in the middle of the night.
He was later killed while resisting arrest, according to Congolese authorities. Dozens, including Malanga's son and two other Americans, were arrested and taken to a high-security military prison in Kinshasa.
Family members have reported that the young men are sleeping on the floor, dealing with health issues, and have had to pay for food and hygiene products.
Coup leader Christian Malanga
Christian Malanga, who was born in Kinshasa, described himself as a refugee who thrived after settling in the US with his family in the 1990s. He claimed to be a leader of a Congolese opposition political party and said he met high-level officials in Washington and the Vatican.
He also portrayed himself as a devoted husband and father of eight. However, court records and interviews tell a different story.
In 2001, when he turned 18, Malanga was convicted in Utah of assault with a firearm, leading to a 30-day jail sentence and three years of probation. That same year, he faced charges of domestic violence assault in one incident and battery and disturbing the peace in another, but he pleaded not guilty and all counts in both cases were dismissed.
In 2004, he faced charges of domestic violence with the threat of using a dangerous weapon, but after pleading not guilty, the charges were dismissed. Post-2004, his legal entanglements have included several cases tied to disputes over custody and child support.
How three young Americans became embroiled in an attempted coup
The American trio behind bars includes Marcel Malanga, the 21-year-old son of Christian Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr, also 21, who jetted off to Africa from Utah with Marcel for what his family believed was a free holiday, and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, reportedly connected to Christian Malanga via a gold mining venture.
Born in Utah and holding US citizenship, Marcel Malanga confessed in court that his father had threatened his and Thompson's lives if they refused to participate in the assault. Brittney Sawyer, Marcel's mother, maintains her son's innocence, claiming he was merely following his father, who fancied himself the leader of a government-in-exile.
Thompson, a former high school football friend of Marcel's from West Jordan, near Salt Lake City, was the sole team member to take up Marcel's offer to visit Congo. This invitation was ambiguously presented as either a family getaway or a humanitarian mission to construct wells, according to other players who spoke to The Associated Press.
Some teammates even suggested Marcel Malanga dangled a $100,000 carrot for accompanying him on a "security job" in Congo. Thompson's family insists that he was unaware of the elder Malanga's plans, had no political activism intentions, and didn't even plan to visit Congo. According to his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, he and the Malangas were only supposed to travel to South Africa and Eswatini.
All those found guilty have a five-day window to appeal the verdict. Richard Bondo, the attorney who represented the Americans and three other foreigners, has stated his intention to do so.
Earlier this year, Congo reinstated the death penalty, ending a moratorium that had been in place for over two decades, as authorities grapple with escalating violence and militant attacks within the country.
The men convicted in the coup attempt are likely to face execution by firing squad. The US State Department has not declared the Americans wrongfully detained, making it unlikely that US officials would attempt to negotiate their return.
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