Three Americans are currently facing trial in a military court in Kinshasa, Congo, for their alleged involvement in last month's attempted coup. The botched coup, led by opposition figure Christian Malanga, resulted in six deaths and targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.
The defendants, including Malanga's 21-year-old son Marcel Malanga, are facing charges such as terrorism, murder, and criminal association, many of which carry the death penalty. Two other Americans, Tyler Thompson Jr and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, are also on trial for their roles in the attack.
Thompson, who flew to Africa with Marcel under the guise of a vacation, was allegedly offered money to join Marcel on a 'security job' in Congo. His family maintains that he had no knowledge of Malanga's intentions and had no plans for political activism. Zalman-Polun, who had a prior conviction for marijuana trafficking, reportedly knew Malanga through a gold mining company set up in Mozambique.
The U.S. embassy in Congo has not provided any comments on the case, stating that they have not had access to the prisoners to offer consular services. Additionally, a Belgian-Congolese researcher, Jean-Jacques Wondo, was also present at the court hearing, although it remains unclear what evidence is held against him.
Human Rights Watch has called for credible charges to be brought against Wondo and others detained in connection with the coup attempt, emphasizing that arrests based on flimsy evidence are not acceptable.
