Three Americans have had their sentences reduced to life in prison ahead of an expected visit by a Trump official.
Three US citizens sentenced to death for a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo have had their sentences commuted to life in prison, according to the Central African country's presidential spokesman.
Three Americans were among 37 people sentenced to death last September after taking part in a May 2024 attack on the government that was broadcast live and included a shootout near the presidential palace.
Security forces killed coup leader Christian Mahlanga, a minor opposition politician. But his son Marcel Mahlanga was arrested along with his school friend Tyler Thompson and Benjamin Zalman-Poluhn, a business partner of Christian Mahlanga.
The three men, all U.S. citizens, were singled out and given “individual pardons,” Tina Salama, a spokeswoman for Congo's president, said in a statement Tuesday evening on X. The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment.
Congo is seeking American support against neighboring Rwanda and the rebel militia it leads and arms, the M23. Since January, the M23 has torn through eastern Congo, capturing vast swaths of land and major towns. Thousands of civilians, soldiers, and allied militias have been killed in the rebel offensive, which has also left millions destitute.
In an interview with The New York Times in February, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi offered the United States a share of his country’s vast mineral wealth, saying such a deal would bring his country greater security and stability. Experts agree that U.S. pressure on Rwanda may be one of the few factors that could prompt M23 to back down.
