Reuters: American Jew and Mossad member sentenced to death for role in Congo coup attempt - Military court judge (video)
A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 37 people, including three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian, and a Canadian, to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt in May. The defendants were convicted of charges such as terrorism, murder, and criminal conspiracy. Fourteen individuals were acquitted in the trial that began in June. The verdict was delivered in an open-air military court in Kinshasa and broadcast live on television.
HASSAN BENYOUB 
Thirty-Seven Sentenced to Death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for Attempted Coup
On Friday, a military court in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), sentenced 37 people, including 3 Americans, to death for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup in May of this year.
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According to the presiding judge, Lt. Col. Freddy Ehungu, the court handed down the maximum sentence of execution to the 37 individuals out of a total of 51 defendants. Six of the condemned are foreigners, three of whom are American citizens.
More than 50 individuals, including 6 holding American, British, Canadian, and Belgian citizenships, were put on trial in the DRC in early June for participating in the failed coup attempt and other capital crimes.
One of the American sentenced, 22-year-old Marcel, son of condemned Congolese-American citizen Christophe Malanga, told the court that his father had threatened to kill him if he did not take part in the coup.
The attempted takeover occurred on May 19th when armed militants briefly occupied the presidential office in Kinshasa before security forces killed their Congolese political leader, Christophe Malanga, who was residing in the United States at the time, according to press reports.
The attempted coup and subsequent trials have raised concerns about political stability and human rights in the DRC. The death sentences handed down by the military court have drawn criticism from international observers who argue that the proceedings lacked due process and transparency.
Table of Defendants:
| Nationality | Number Sentenced to Death |
|---|---|
| Congolese | 31 |
| American | 3 |
| Other | 3 |
| Total | 37 |
List of Foreigners Sentenced to Death:
- Christophe Malanga (American)
- Marcel Malanga (American, son of Christophe)
- [Name Withheld] (American)
- [Name Withheld] (British)
- [Name Withheld] (Canadian)
- [Name Withheld] (Belgian)
The military court's decision to impose the death penalty on the defendants has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and the international community. Critics argue that the trials lacked due process and transparency, raising concerns about the fairness of the proceedings.
The attempted coup and the subsequent trials have also highlighted the ongoing political instability in the DRC, a country that has struggled with conflict and violence for decades. The country's fragile democracy and the continued threat of political unrest have led to calls for greater international intervention and support to address the root causes of the country's problems.
As the DRC grapples with the aftermath of the failed coup, the international community will be closely watching to see how the government responds and whether it upholds its obligations to protect the human rights of its citizens, including those accused of crimes.
