By Ange Kasongo
KINSHASA (Reuters) – Greater than 50 defendants, together with six with U.S., British, Canadian or Belgian citizenship, appeared in court docket within the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday charged with collaborating in a failed coup and different offences that carry the loss of life penalty.
Armed males briefly occupied an workplace of the presidency within the capital Kinshasa on Could 19 earlier than their chief, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by safety forces.
The defendants embody Malanga’s 22-year-old son Marcel Malanga, two different U.S. residents and the three different holders of overseas passports. All have Congolese roots.
The primary day of the army trial befell underneath a tent within the yard of Ndolo army jail on the outskirts of Kinshasa. The defendants filed in carrying blue and yellow prison-issued tops and lined up earlier than the choose.
All 53 face costs together with unlawful arms possession, legal conspiracy, terrorism and makes an attempt to destabilise state establishments and undermine the integrity of the state, a few of which danger the loss of life penalty or prolonged jail sentences.
The defendants had been recognized in court docket, and costs learn, however they weren’t requested to enter a plea.
Congo lifted a moratorium on the loss of life penalty in March, citing treachery and espionage in recurring armed conflicts as the rationale.
Richard Bondo, a lawyer for one of many U.S. detainees, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, instructed Reuters it was too quickly to speak of doable extradition, and the presumption of innocence utilized.
It was not doable to succeed in the opposite defendants or their legal professionals for remark.
