More than 50 defendants, including six people with US, British, Canadian and of Belgian citizenship, were brought before a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo on charges of participation in a failed coup attempt and other crimes for which they are threatened with death sentences, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Gunmen briefly seized the president's office in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, US-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.
Among the defendants is Christian Malanga's 22-year-old son, Marcel Malanga, two other American citizens, as well as three other foreign nationals. They all have Congolese origins.
The first day of the trial took place under a canopy in the courtyard of the Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa. The defendants were dressed in prison clothes.
All 53 defendants face charges that include illegal possession of weapons, participation in a criminal conspiracy, terrorism and attempting to destabilize state institutions, for which they are threatened with death sentences or long prison terms.
The charges were read by the court, but the accused were not given an opportunity to speak in their defense.
DRC authorities lifted the moratorium on the death penalty in March, citing the risks of treason and espionage leading to armed conflict.
Richard Bondo, who is a lawyer for one of the defendants, a US citizen, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, told Reuters it was too early to talk about possible extradition and the application of the presumption of innocence. Lawyers for the other defendants could not be reached for comment, according to Reuters.