A military court in Congo has sentenced 37 individuals, including three Americans, to death on charges of rebellion against the government.

The group also includes a British national, a Belgian, and a Canadian.

The court’s decision follows an armed takeover of the presidential office on May 19. The defendants were given just five days to appeal their sentences.

Reports indicate that security forces killed the alleged leader of the rebellion, Christian Malanga, a Congolese-American politician, effectively ending the insurrection. Among those facing trial are Malanga’s 20-year-old son, Marcel, and his friend, Taylor Thompson, both of whom were involved in the events.

The third American, Benjamin Zeilman Polon, was linked to Malanga’s business operations. All three were convicted of conspiracy, terrorism, and other related crimes.

Marcel Malanga testified that his father had threatened him with death if he did not join the rebellion, emphasizing that he traveled to Congo for the first time at his father’s invitation after a long separation.

In addition to the Americans, around 50 others from the U.S., UK, Canada, Belgium, and Congo are also facing rebellion charges.

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The death sentences were announced at the Andolo military prison near Kinshasa, with the proceedings broadcast on television.

The trial for the attempted coup began in July, following the events of May. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, confirmed that embassy staff were present at the hearing and that they will monitor the situation closely. He noted that Congolese law allows for appeals against the court’s decision.