Facing Execution: Americans Sentenced to Death in Congo Coup, Potential Ties to Israeli Mossad Under Investigation

Jewish-American Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, a father of three from the Washington, D.C. area, is one of three Americans and 37 others sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

The sentences came after a failed coup in May, led by Christian Malanga, a former used car dealer and gold miner, who sought to oust President Félix Tshisekedi.

As the legal battle unfolds, social media has exploded with images suggesting that Polun may have connections to both the CIA and Israeli Mossad. These claims originated from a photograph of Polun and Malanga outside the Golan Spy Shop, a tech and security supply store located in Tel Aviv.

The violent Congo coup left six dead, with parts broadcast live. Malanga was killed by the Congolese military while resisting arrest.

Polun was convicted in the U.S. for his role in a marijuana distribution scheme and was reportedly a gold mining partner of Malanga. Marcel Malanga, Christian's son, and Tyler Thompson are the two other Americans sentenced to death.

He and the other Americans were captured along the banks of the Congo River while attempting to flee. During the trial, they argued that they were coerced into taking part in the coup at gunpoint.

Polun and his family had allegedly been living in South Africa for the past few years. Before that, they called Washington, D.C., home, where they were members of the Washington Hebrew Congregation.

Those convicted have a five-day window to appeal the verdicts. Richard Bondo, the lawyer for the Americans and three other foreign defendants, announced plans to file an appeal.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, ending a moratorium that had been in place for more than twenty years, in an effort to address increasing violence and militant assaults in the country.

The U.S. State Department has yet to categorize Polun and the other Americans as wrongfully detained, which diminishes the prospects for U.S. government intervention. 

U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lucy Tamlyn, denounced the coup and the participation of Jewish-Americans sentenced, committing to collaborate with Congolese authorities in their ongoing investigation. 

If the appeals are denied, the men found guilty in the coup attempt could face execution by firing squad.