Lawyer appeals death sentences for 3 Americans convicted in DRC coup attempt

The lawyer representing three American citizens sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their involvement in an alleged coup attempt has officially filed an appeal. Richard Bondo, the lawyer for the convicted Americans, confirmed the filing on Tuesday, September 17, in an interview with The Associated Press.

The three Americans were among 37 people handed death sentences last Friday by a military court in the DRC. The court found them guilty of participating in a coup attempt led by opposition figure Christian Malanga in May. According to authorities, six people were killed during the attack, which targeted the presidential palace and a key ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.

Bondo highlighted that the reinstatement of the death penalty in the DRC earlier this year violated the country’s commitment to the Treaty of Rome, which the DRC is a member of. “The parliament should have decided on an alternative penalty,” Bondo said. “However, they have not yet addressed this issue.”

The three Americans sentenced include 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of the coup’s leader, as well as Tyler Thompson Jr., also 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36. Thompson, a high school friend of Marcel, had traveled to the DRC from Utah under the belief he was going on a vacation, while Zalman-Polun was reportedly connected to Christian Malanga through a gold mining company.

During the trial, Marcel Malanga testified that his father had coerced him and Thompson into participating in the coup, threatening their lives if they refused. “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” he told the court.

Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has maintained her son’s innocence, asserting that he was merely following his father’s instructions. “My son is innocent,” Sawyer said. In the months since Marcel’s arrest, she has been raising funds to send him basic supplies such as food and hygiene products, noting that he has been sleeping on the floor of his cell at Ndolo military prison while also battling a liver disease.

The Americans, alongside other defendants, were convicted of charges including attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association. Despite the gravity of the verdict, Bondo remains hopeful that justice will be served through the appeal process.

“We believe that the appeal will bring new light to the case and hopefully lead to a more just outcome,” Bondo said. The lawyer emphasized that the death sentences are not final, and his team is working diligently to challenge the convictions.

The defendants had five days to appeal the court’s decision, and while the DRC’s reinstatement of the death penalty marks a departure from the country’s previous two-decade moratorium, there remains hope for a reconsideration of the sentences.

As the appeal moves forward, the families of the convicted Americans continue to advocate for their release, with hopes that the legal process will ultimately yield a positive outcome.