3 Americans sentenced to death in Congo coup trial

Sep 13, 2024

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Producer ), Jack Henry (Editor)

A Congo military court sentenced 37 people, including three Americans to death on Friday, Sept. 13. The decision is over an attempt to overthrow the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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In May, the group of armed men occupied the presidential palace, before their leader, Christian Malanga, a U.S. based Congolese politician, was killed by security forces.

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His son, Marcel Malanga was among the convicted Americans. He told the court his father threatened to kill him unless he participated. He also said he went to the Congo to visit his father, who he hadn’t seen in years.

Malanga’s mother, Brittney Sawyer previously posted on Facebook that he was “innocent” and “just following his father.”

The second convicted American is Tyler Thompson, who played high school football with Malanga.

The third American, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, was a business associate of Christian Malanga.

All three were found guilty of several charges including criminal conspiracy and terrorism in ruling a live TV.

The U.S. State Department said it is aware of the ruling. The U.S. Embassy in Congo has not commented.

Tags: Africa, trial

Lauren Taylor

THIRTY-SEVEN PEOPLE … INCLUDING THREE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER AN ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.

IN MAY, THE GROUP OF ARMED MEN OCCUPIED THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, BEFORE THEIR LEADER, CHRISTIAN MALANGA … A U-S BASED CONGOLESE POLITICIAN … WAS KILLED BY SECURITY.

HIS SON … MARCEL MALANGA WAS AMONG THE CONVICTED AMERICANS.

HIS MOTHER PREVIOUSLY POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT HE WAS INNOCENT AND “JUST FOLLOWING HIS FATHER.”

MARCEL TOLD THE COURT THAT HIS FATHER HAD THREATENED TO KILL HIM UNLESS HE PARTICIPATED.

THE OTHER TWO CONVICTED AMERICANS PREVIOUSLY KNEW MARCEL… AND TRAVELED TOGETHER TO THE CONGO.

THEY WERE ALL FOUND GUILTY OF SEVERAL CHARGES … INCLUDING CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AND TERRORISM. THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY’RE AWARE OF THE RULING, WHILE THE U-S EMBASSY IN CONGO HAS YET TO COMMENT.

FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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