Six US, British, Canadian and Belgian citizens, appeared in court in Congo. The court charged them with taking part in a failed coup and other offences. These carry the death penalty.
The six are part of more than 50 defendants.
Armed men occupy the presidency office in Congo
Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19. Security forces killed their leader Christian Malanga. He was a Congolese politician
The defendants include Malanga’s 22-year-old son Marcel Malanga, two other US citizens and the three other holders of foreign passports. All have Congolese roots.
Over 50 defendants face a military trial
The first day of the military trial took place under a tent in the yard of Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa. The defendants filed in wearing blue and yellow prison-issued tops and lined up before the judge.
All 53 face charges including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, terrorism and attempts to destabilise state institutions and undermine the integrity of the state. Some of these charges risk the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.
The court identified the defendants and the charges were read to them. However, they were not asked to enter a plea.
Congo lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in March. It cited treachery and espionage in recurring armed conflicts as the reason.
Richard Bondo who is a lawyer for one of the US detainees, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, said it was too soon to talk of possible extradition. The presumption of innocence applied.
With inputs from Reuters
