Nine individuals on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in connection with a coup attempt pleaded not guilty on Friday, the media reported.
"We plead not guilty," said Richard Bondo, lawyer for Benjamin Zalman-Polun, an American citizen who is among the defendants.
Similarly, the lawyers representing other defendants also reportedly called for their "acquittal" and "release." Overall, the trial involves 51 people, including three US citizens.
The defendants face charges including terrorism, illegal weapons possession, and attempted assassination. The American defendants claim they were forced into participating.
The next hearing is reportedly scheduled for Monday.
Around 4 am on May 19, gunfire erupted in Kinshasa as an armed group entered the Palace of the Nation, where President Felix Tshisekedi's office is located. Tshisekedi was not present. Another group attacked the home of then Deputy Prime Minister Vital Kamerhe, currently the speaker of the lower house of the DRC parliament.