Three Americans Sentenced to Death in Congo for Coup Attempt

A Congolese military court convicted 37 people, including three U.S. citizens, for their roles in a failed coup against President Felix Tshisekedi.

• The Americans, Tyler Thompson, Marcel Malanga, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, were among those sentenced after being charged with terrorism, murder, and criminal association.
• The court's verdict came after a coup attempt in May led by Christian Malanga, who was killed during the attack.
• Family members of the convicted Americans claim they were unaware of the coup plot and believed the trip to Africa was a vacation.
• The U.S. State Department has not declared the Americans wrongfully detained but is monitoring the situation closely.
• Defendants have five days to appeal the verdict, and their lawyer plans to challenge the death sentences, citing inadequate interpretation during the trial.

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