by Admin
Sep 14, 2024
A military court in Kinshasa the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 37 people to death, which includes three American citizens in their role in the failed coup attempt to topple President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in May.
The verdict which was passed on Friday by Freddy Ehume, the president of the court, said “The court pronounces the harshest sentence: the death penalty for criminal association, the death penalty for attack, the death penalty for terrorism,”.
The accused, which includes three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian, also have five days to appeal the verdict.
In a statement by Richard Bondo, the counsel to the six foreign defendants, he said “We will challenge this decision on appeal,”.
He challenged the process of the ruling, stating that his clients had a lack of communication due to inadequate interpreters to help disseminate the information surrounding the investigation.
The leader of the coup plotters, Christian Malanga who was a Congolese politician, was gunned down by the Congolese security forces, he was a wealthy businessman, politician, and one-time military captain in the Congolese army and considered himself the “President of New Zaire”.
He contested parliamentary elections in 2011 but was arrested and detained for several weeks under former President Joseph Kabila.
Two of the security officers were also killed by the coup plotters in the failed attempt.
The Human Rights Watch organization has called on the Congolese government to uphold International standards during the course of the trial.
In a statement by Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch “Congo and the region have a legacy of coups and attempted coups,” he further added that “The Congolese government needs to treat this crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to human rights and the rule of law.”
Marcel Malanga, the son of the deceased coup leader was sentenced to death on Friday along with his close friend Taylor Thompson, who were football teammates while in High School in Utah.
Thirteen out of the Fifty people were acquitted in the trial, which began in June.