The Congo returns to the homeland of 3 Americans who faced the death penalty due to a failed coup plot

The three Americans were convicted to participate in A failed coup attempt in the Congo Last year was returned to the United States, days after The death penalty has been reduced The Congo Presidency said on Tuesday to life imprisonment.

The three will offer their sanctions in the United States after returning home in cooperation with the American embassy, ​​a spokeswoman for the Congolese Presidency Tina Naama said on x.

Federal prosecutors canceled the criminal complaint in the province of Utah on Wednesday, accusing all three defendants – Marcel Malanga, 22; Tyler Thompson, 22; Benjamin Zaalan Bolon, 37-fourth man, Joseph Peter Moyseer, 67, with multiple charges linked to conspiracy to carry out an illegal coup in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Malanga, Tombson and Zlaman Bolon will make their initial manifestations of the Federal Court in Brooklyn, the Ministry of Justice He said In a statement. More legal procedures are to be conducted in the Salt Lake City, Utah. Modser is expected to appear on April 10 at the Solt Lake City Federal Court.

The Foreign Ministry said it was aware of its transfer to the American nursery and referred questions to the Ministry of Justice.

“They are in our covenants, and we also condemn the force of armed attacks on May 19 and support the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in holding those responsible for responsibility appropriately,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tami Bruce told a press conference on Tuesday. “At the same time, we are looking for a firm, emotional, humanitarian, and legal process on behalf of these American citizens.”

Malanga is the son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the coup attempt that thwarted the presidential palace in Kinshasa. The Congolese authorities said that “Malianga”, who was living from the palace during the attempt, was later killed while resisting the detention.

Malanga, who declared himself “President of the New Zaire”, was a rich businessman and a former captain of the Congolese army. He stopped the elections in 2011, but was arrested and detained for several weeks. Marcel Malanga said his father forced him to participate in the failed coup attempt that left six people.

He was also re-directed to his homeland Thompson, a friend of the younger Malanga who traveled to Africa from Utah when his family believed free vacation, and Zalman-Polun, who was said to have known Christian Malanga through the Gold Mining Company.

The news of their return brought joy to the families. The wife of Thompson, Miranda Thompson, told AP that she had not had all the details of the return, “but we are very excited about his presence on the American soil again.”

Pardon and return to the homeland came amid efforts by the Congolese authorities to sign minerals with the United States in exchange for security support that will help Kinshasa fight the rebels in East of the country that was struck by the conflict.

The issuance of American citizens comes a week after the Foreign Ministry announced that it was appointed Masad Paulus As a great advisor to Africa. Paulus traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on April 3 and met with government officials and business leaders to “push efforts for solid peace” and “promote investment in the private sector in the region,” according to Bruce Office.

Paulus confirmed last week that the two countries are in talks on this issue and said they may involve “billions of dollars investments.” The United States estimated that the Congo has trillion dollars Mineral wealthMany of it is not exploited.

“This decision is part of a dynamic to enhance judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights between the two countries,” the Congo Presidency said on Tuesday.

He condemned dozens of others after trying to turn, the majority of them are Congolese, but they are also British, Belgian and Canadian. The charges included terrorism, murder, criminal associations, and possession of illegal weapons.

The fate of others was not immediately clear.

The Congo re -was the death penalty last year, and raised a stop of more than two decades, as the authorities are struggling to curb violence and armed attacks.

Family members said last year that men sleep on the ground in a high -end military prison in KinshasaIt is struggled with health problems and forced to pay the price of food and hygiene products.