- 50 people including 6 forigners in court
- The charges carry the possibility of death penalty
- They did not enter pleas.
Over 50 people, including six foreign citizens, went on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday for their alleged roles in a failed coup attempt.
The charges against them carry the possibility of the death penalty.
The group is accused of participating in an attack on the president’s office in Kinshasa on May 19th. The leader of the plot, US-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces during the attempt.
Among the defendants are Malanga’s son, Marcel, two other American citizens, and individuals with British, Canadian, and Belgian citizenship. All have Congolese roots.
The trial began under a tent at Ndolo military prison. The defendants, dressed in prison uniforms, were identified and had the charges against them read, which included illegal weapons possession, conspiracy, terrorism, and attempting to overthrow the government. They did not enter pleas.
This trial comes after the Democratic Republic of Congo lifted its moratorium on the death penalty in March, citing ongoing armed conflicts.
A lawyer for one of the American detainees, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, stated it was premature to discuss extradition and emphasized the presumption of innocence.
Attorneys for the other defendants could not be reached for comment.
