The Special Court trying suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused on Monday rejected defense requests to broadcast proceedings live on SSBC and for more time to prepare the accused for questioning.
During the 72nd session at Freedom Hall in Juba, Judge
Stephen Simon said the court upheld its ban on live broadcasts and denied the
defense request for time to prepare the accused to take the stand
for questioning.
“The defense’s application to adjourn the session to May 1st
to prepare the accused persons and broadcast the session live is hereby
dismissed,” Simon said.
Defense lawyers had sought a one-week adjournment until May
1 to prepare Machar and the co-accused to take the stand.
The court dismissed the request and adjourned proceedings to
next Monday, May 4 for questioning of the accused.
Machar and his seven co-accused face charges including
murder, conspiracy, terrorism, treason, destruction of public property and
crimes against humanity.
Machar remains under house arrest, while the co-accused are
detained in National Security Service facilities in Juba.
Prosecutors allege that forces linked to the SPLM-IO and the
White Army killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces soldiers, including a
commander, and destroyed or seized military equipment worth about $58 million
during an attack on a military garrison in Nasir in March 2025.
