How young Americans with ties to Utah ended up in the middle of a coup attempt in Congo and face death penalty

Monika Pronczuk, Jean-Yves Kamale and Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A subject tribunal successful Congo, 1 of Africa’s largest countries, has convicted 3 Americans and dozens of others of taking portion successful a coup effort and imposed “the harshest penalty, that of death.”

The tribunal convicted nan 37 defendants, including nan 3 Americans and imposed nan decease punishment successful a verdict delivered by presiding judge Maj. Freddy Ehuma astatine an open-air subject tribunal proceeding.

The defendants, a mostly of them Congolese but besides including a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian, were charged pinch terrorism, murder, criminal relation and forbidden possession of weapons, among different charges.

The lawyer who defended nan six foreigners said they would entreaty nan verdicts.

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The U.S. State Department powerfully discourages recreation to Congo, informing of convulsive crime and civilian unrest. Here’s really nan 3 Americans ended up successful nan mediate of nan coup attempt.

What happened during nan coup effort successful May

In Congo’s superior Kinshasa, an improbable set of people, including 3 Americans, tried to unseat nan country’s President Felix Tshisekedi successful May. They were led by a little-known guidance figure, Christian Malanga, who sold utilized cars and dabbled successful golden mining earlier persuading his Utah-born boy to subordinate successful nan foiled coup.

The coup effort began astatine nan Kinshasa residence of Tshisekedi’s adjacent ally, Vital Kamerhe, a national legislator and a campaigner for Speaker of nan National Assembly of Congo. His guards killed immoderate of nan attackers, officials said.

Christian Malanga, meanwhile, was live-streaming video from nan statesmanlike palace successful which he is seen surrounded by respective equipped men successful subject uniforms wandering astir successful nan mediate of nan night. He was later killed while resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said.

Dozens, including Malanga’s boy and 2 different Americans, were arrested and brought to a high-security subject situation successful Kinshasa. Family members said nan young men person been sleeping connected nan floor, struggling pinch wellness issues and person had to salary for nutrient and hygiene products.

Christian Malanga, nan improbable coup leader
Malanga, who was calved successful Kinshasa, had described himself arsenic a exile who thrived aft settling successful nan U.S. pinch his family successful nan 1990s. He said he became a leader of a Congolese guidance governmental statement and met high-level officials successful Washington and nan Vatican. He besides described himself arsenic a devoted hubby and begetter of eight.

Court records and interviews overgarment different picture. In 2001, nan twelvemonth he turned 18, Malanga was convicted successful Utah of battle pinch a firearm, which resulted successful a 30-day jailhouse condemnation and 3 years of probation. That aforesaid year, he was charged pinch home unit battle successful 1 incident and artillery and disturbing nan bid successful another, but he pleaded not blameworthy and each counts successful some cases were dismissed.

In 2004, he was charged pinch home unit pinch threat of utilizing a vulnerable weapon, but he pleaded not blameworthy and nan charges were again dismissed. Since 2004, records show respective cases related to a custody conflict and a kid support dispute.

How 3 young Americans sewage progressive successful a coup attempt

The 3 imprisoned Americans are Malanga’s 21-year-old boy Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, who flew to Africa from Utah pinch nan younger Malanga for what his family believed was a vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is reported to person known Christian Malanga done a golden mining company.

Marcel Malanga is simply a U.S. national and was calved successful Utah. His mother, Brittney Sawyer, has said her boy is guiltless and was simply pursuing his father, who considered himself president of a protector authorities successful exile.

Thompson was his precocious schoolhouse friend and shot teammate successful nan Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan. He was nan only erstwhile teammate to judge Marcel Malanga’s invitation to recreation to Congo, according to respective different players who told The Associated Press they had been invited to what Marcel Malanga sounded interchangeably arsenic a family picnic aliases arsenic a work travel to build wells. Other teammates alleged that Marcel Malanga had offered up to $100,000 to subordinate him connected a “security job” successful Congo.

Thompson’s family maintains he had nary knowledge of nan elder Malanga’s intentions, nary plans for governmental activism and didn’t moreover scheme to participate Congo. He and nan Malangas were meant to recreation only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said.

Here’s what happens next

All of those convicted person 5 days to entreaty nan verdict. Congo reinstated nan decease punishment earlier this year, lifting a much than two-decade-old moratorium, arsenic authorities struggle to curb unit and militant attacks successful nan country. But Richard Bondo, nan lawyer who defended nan six foreigners, disputed whether nan decease punishment could presently beryllium imposed successful Congo, and said his clients had inadequate interpreters during nan investigation of nan case.

The U.S. State Department has not declared nan Americans wrongfully detained, making it improbable that U.S. officials would effort to discuss their return.

Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Schoenbaum from Salt Lake City.