Congo commutes 3 Americans' death sentences following coup attempt

Congo’s president commuted the decease sentences of 3 Americans who were convicted connected charges of participating successful a coup effort past year, officials announced Wednesday. 

Marcel Malanga, 21, Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, had their sentences switched to beingness imprisonment pursuing an bid by Felix Tshisekedi, the Associated Press reported, citing a statesmanlike spokesperson. 

The pardon comes arsenic Congolese authorities are trying to scope a minerals woody with the U.S. successful speech for information enactment that volition assistance the state combat rebels successful its conflict-hit eastbound region.  

The State Department did not instantly respond Wednesday to a petition for remark from Fox News Digital. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce wrote connected X yesterday that Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos is "is getting close to enactment promoting U.S. interests, starting with a travel to the portion this week with stops successful [the] Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda." 

FLASHBACK: 3 AMERICANS IN CONGO SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER COUP ATTEMPT 

Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, left, Marcel Malanga, center, and Tyler Thompson Jr., are seen waiting for the last verdict during their proceedings successful Kinshasa, Congo, connected Sept. 13, 2024.  (Reuters/Justin Makangara)

Six radical were killed during past May’s botched coup attempt, led by opposition fig Christian Malanga, that targeted the statesmanlike palace successful Kinshasa arsenic good arsenic a adjacent state of Tshisekedi. 

Malanga was fatally changeable portion resisting apprehension soon aft live-streaming the onslaught connected his societal media, the Congolese service said. 

Marcel Malanga, who is simply a U.S. citizen, told a tribunal during the lawsuit that his begetter had forced him and Thompson Jr., his precocious schoolhouse friend, to instrumentality portion successful the attack, according to The Associated Press.  

"Dad had threatened to termination america if we did not travel his orders," Marcel Malanga reportedly said. 

AFRICAN WAR-TORN NATION INVOKES TRUMP ‘GOLDEN AGE’ FOR MINERALS DEAL IN EXCHANGE FOR BOOTING VIOLENT REBELS 

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi has offered President Trump a minerals woody successful speech for removing convulsive rebels from his country.  (Getty Images)

Thompson Jr. flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his household believed was a escaped vacation, and Zalman-Polun is reported to person known Christian Malanga done a golden mining company. 

"We person seen that a subject tribunal successful the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced a fig of defendants, including U.S. citizens, to decease for alleged engagement successful the May 19th attacks against the government," erstwhile State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said astatine the clip of the Americans’ sentencing. 

Marcel Malanga told a tribunal during the lawsuit that his begetter had forced him and his precocious schoolhouse person to instrumentality portion successful the attack. (Reuters/Justin Makangara)

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"We recognize that the ineligible process successful the DRC allows for defendants to entreaty the court's decision. Embassy unit person been attending these proceedings ... We'll proceed to be the proceedings and travel the developments closely," helium added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.