A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sentenced 37 people to death in connection with an alleged coup attempt in May, with six foreigners among those condemned.
Court president Freddy Ehume delivered the verdict, stating, “The court pronounces the harshest sentence: the death penalty for criminal association, the death penalty for attack, the death penalty for terrorism,”
Of the 51 individuals on trial, 37 were handed death sentences. Among those sentenced were three American nationals, as well as a Belgian, Briton, and Canadian, all of whom had become naturalised Congolese citizens.
The trial, which began in early June, focused on an alleged coup attempt on May 19, when armed men attacked key government sites, including the home of Vital Kamerhe, who was then Minister of the Economy.
The group then reportedly attempted to storm President Felix Tshisekedi’s offices, brandishing flags from the Mobutu Sese Seko era. The army responded to the situation, claiming to have thwarted the coup plot.
The trial has sparked concerns, particularly after the Congolese government recently lifted a moratorium on the death penalty, which had been in place since 2003. The use of the death penalty has drawn criticism from human rights groups, which have expressed concern over the fairness of the proceedings.
