A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 37 people to death on Friday, including three Americans, over an alleged coup attempt. Among those sentenced were also a Belgian, Briton, and Canadian, all naturalized Congolese.
The trial, which began in early June, concluded with the harshest penalties as the court president, Freddy Ehume, read out the verdicts in Kinshasa. Defendants, dressed in prison uniforms, sat in silence as the death sentences were announced. The accused were found guilty of charges including criminal association, attack, and terrorism. Fourteen individuals were acquitted due to lack of evidence connecting them to the plot.
The attempted coup took place on May 19 when armed men attacked the home of Vital Kamerhe, then the economy minister and now president of the national assembly. Two policemen guarding him were killed. The attackers also reportedly approached a building housing President Felix Tshisekedi’s office, carrying flags reminiscent of Zaire under former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
Human rights groups and defense lawyers criticized the trial, calling it non-transparent and unfair. Defense attorneys have announced plans to appeal the sentences. The death penalty is still legal in DR Congo, though executions have not been carried out since 2003.
