Former First Vice President Riek Machar on Wednesday raised a fresh security concern before the Special Court trying him and seven co-defendants, asking judges to consider an urgent complaint involving his defence team.
Machar raised the matter during the court's 128th session at
Freedom Hall in Juba, saying his defence team had an urgent complaint it wanted
to present to the judges.
“We have a complaint that we want to bring to the court
about the defense. Due to an urgent matter, we think this can be brought before
you,” Machar told the court.
Presiding Judge Stephen Simon Binjigwa responded that the
court was competent to hear urgent matters, but advised Machar to present the
complaint through his legal representatives.
“We are a competent court. If you have something urgent, let
your advocate bring it to us,” Binjigwa said.
Machar clarified that the complaint concerned a security
matter, but its details were not disclosed during the proceedings.
The latest concern follows earlier security complaints
raised by the defence over alleged threats against the accused and their
lawyers. In September, defence lawyer Geri Raimondo Legge reported the alleged
threats, prompting the court to order an investigation and additional
protective measures.
The judges subsequently directed security personnel
implicated in the allegations to stop attending court sessions and ordered
protection for the accused and their lawyers while travelling between detention
facilities and the courthouse.
Machar later raised allegations of a plot to assassinate
him, his co-accused and members of the defence team, describing the trial
environment as “toxic”. Presiding Judge James Alala Deng later said the court's
investigation had been completed and that individuals identified would be
referred to the Attorney General and police for further action.
The court adjourned proceedings until November 18 to allow
for the state funeral of veteran politician and military commander General
Joseph Lagu Yanga, who is scheduled to be buried in Juba on Friday.
Machar and seven co-defendants face charges including
murder, conspiracy, terrorism, treason, destruction of public property and
crimes against humanity over the March 2025 attack on a military garrison in
Nasir, Upper Nile State.
Prosecutors allege that the attack killed 257 South Sudan
People's Defence Forces soldiers, including their commander, Major General
David Majur Dak, and resulted in the destruction or capture of military
equipment worth about $58 million.
Machar and the other defendants have denied the charges. Machar remains under house arrest, while the other accused are held at National Security Service detention facilities in Juba.