A military court in Congo sentenced 37 people to death on Friday after convicting them of taking part in a failed coup attempt, including three Americans whose cases have drawn international attention.
The open-air verdict in Kinshasa covered 51 defendants in total. Fourteen were acquitted. The court said the convicted group included people charged with attempted coup, terrorism and criminal association. Under the ruling, the defendants have five days to appeal.
Among those sentenced were Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, all U.S. citizens. The three Americans sat in blue and yellow prison clothing and listened as the sentence was read in French and translated for them. The court also convicted most of the other defendants, who were largely Congolese but also included a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian.
The case centers on the May attack that targeted Congo’s presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. Six people were killed during that botched operation, which was linked to the little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga. The Congolese army said Christian Malanga was shot dead while resisting arrest after livestreaming the attack.
Marcel Malanga told the court that his father had forced him and a friend to take part in the assault. Other defendants gave similar accounts, saying they had been threatened or misled. The Americans’ lawyer, Richard Bondo, said the defense would challenge the verdict and argued that the death penalty could not currently be imposed in Congo despite its earlier reinstatement.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the verdict and that embassy staff had been attending the proceedings. Spokesman Matthew Miller said the legal process allowed for appeals. The department has not declared the three Americans wrongfully detained.
The verdict adds a judicial chapter to an already tense episode that began with an armed assault in May and continued through months of proceedings in the capital. The military court’s decision is significant not only because it imposed the harshest available punishment, but because it involves foreign nationals and allegations that reach beyond Congo’s domestic political disputes.
The Americans’ family members and lawyers have publicly challenged the case and described difficult detention conditions. Their responses suggest the fight is likely to continue in appeals and diplomatic channels even after the court’s ruling.
The broader case also highlights continuing instability in Congo’s security environment. The country has faced recurrent armed violence, and the state has treated the May assault as a serious challenge. Friday’s ruling did not end the controversy; it moved it into the next phase, where defense lawyers said they would contest both the verdict and the penalty.
