September 15th 2024.
The news of Youssouf Ezangi, a British national facing execution in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has sparked outrage and concern among his family and legal team. As a lawyer representing Ezangi, I am determined to do everything in my power to overturn this harsh sentence.
Ezangi, who has lived and worked in London as a plumber, was one of six foreign nationals who were convicted by a military court for their alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi. Along with a Canadian, a Belgian, and three other Americans, Ezangi was found guilty of charges including attempted coup, terrorism, and criminal association.
The failed coup, which took place on May 19 and resulted in the death of six people, was led by Christian Malanga, who was later shot dead by security forces. According to witnesses, Malanga coerced his 21-year-old son Marcel and his high school friend Tyler Thompson, also 21 and from Utah, to participate in the attack. Marcel and others involved claim that Malanga had threatened them with death if they did not follow his orders.
Marcel's mother, Brittney Sawyer, maintains her son's innocence, stating that Malanga considered himself the president of a shadow government in exile. She also revealed that Malanga had offered large sums of money to Marcel, Thompson, and other friends to join him in a "security job" in Congo.
The trial, which was held under a tent in the capital city of Kinshasa, has been criticized for its lack of adequate interpreters and the rushed nature of the proceedings. Ezangi's lawyer, Richard Bondo, has vowed to challenge the court's decision and is confident that an appeal will result in a different outcome for his client and the other foreign nationals involved.
Meanwhile, the British government has been actively involved in trying to prevent Ezangi's execution. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office has stated that they have made representations to the highest levels of the Congolese government and will continue to do so. They have also provided consular assistance to Ezangi and his family.
Among the other foreign nationals facing the death penalty is Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, a 36-year-old who is believed to have met Malanga through a gold mining company. With the reinstatement of the death penalty in the DRC earlier this year, there is hope that the verdict can be appealed and justice can be served for Ezangi and his co-defendants.
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