3 Americans in Congo sentenced to death after coup attempt

Three American citizens have been sentenced to death in Congo after being convicted on charges of participating in a coup attempt, with one telling a court that his father — who led the failed effort — "had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders."

A lawyer representing 21-year-olds Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr. and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is now planning to appeal the verdict following the botched attack orchestrated by Malanga’s father, Christian Malanga, in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.

"We have seen that a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced a number of defendants, including U.S. citizens, to death for alleged involvement in the May 19th attacks against the government," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday. "We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court's decision. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings ... We'll continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely."

When asked if he thought the court process was fair, Miller responded, "I don't want to pass judgment on the proceedings so far, because we are still in the middle of the legal process."

AMERICANS IN ALLEGED CONGO COUP PLOT FORMED AN UNLIKELY BAND

Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt, including Christian Malanga, who was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said.

Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, told a court during the case that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack, according to The Associated