The court pronounced the strongest sentence: the death penalty, said Major Freddy Ehume, the president of the tribunal, which was held under a Khaki-green tent in the courtyard of the capital Kinshasa's Ndolo military prison.
The sentencing ends three months of hearings into the events of May 19, when a group of armed men led by Congolese political exile and longtime US resident Christian Malanga staged a bungled attempt to overthrow the government.
There, according to footage Malanga live streamed on social media, they unfurled flags and chanted anti-government slogans. But Congolese troops quickly took back control -- killing Malanga in the process.
Thompson's family had told reporters they believed their son was on vacation. Footage that circulated on social media -- and which was shown during the proceedings -- documented the coup attempt.
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