How Dr. Machar and co-accused’s defense cornered lead investigator

The courtroom inside Freedom Hall fell into tense silence as the defense team for First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar began cross-examining the state’s lead investigator, Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani. What followed in the sixteenth session of the Nasir Incident trial unfolded as a day of tense exchanges and probing questions that put the […]
Tense courtroom drama as Dr. Machar trial adjourned to Oct 31

The 15th session of the high-profile trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused SPLM/A-IO members ended Monday amid intense courtroom exchanges, with proceedings adjourned to Friday, October 31. The session saw a fiery cross-examination of lead investigator Basilo Wani by Head Defense Advocate Kur Lual, exposing inconsistencies and procedural gaps that […]
Investigator ties Dr. Machar to Nasir garrison deaths through neglect

On Monday, Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani, the lead investigator in the Nasir garrison attack case, accused Dr. Riek Machar, the suspended First Vice President, of failing to prevent a deadly assault that left more than 250 South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldiers dead. Wani told the special court that Machar, as Commander-in-Chief of […]
Media barred, phones banned as Dr. Machar trial continues

The politically sensitive trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and several senior SPLM-IO officials resumed Wednesday under sweeping new restrictions, with private media barred from entering the courtroom and individuals carrying smartphones turned away at the door. The special court, convened in Juba to examine serious political and security-related allegations against Machar and […]
Special court postpones Dr. Machar’s trial to Monday after key hearings

The Special Court trying suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon and seven other senior SPLM-IO officials has adjourned proceedings to Monday, following a full day of testimony from four of the accused, including Machar himself. Friday’s session at Freedom Hall in Juba focused on statements from the first group of defendants, who face […]
Private media exclusion sparks outcry in Machar case

Journalists working for private and international media were once again denied access to the courtroom on Tuesday as the high-profile trial of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven senior SPLM-IO members entered its second day. This continued media blackout has triggered widespread condemnation, especially after the presiding judge reaffirmed that the hearings were […]
Machar legal team calls Nasir case ceasefire violation, CTSAMM jurisdiction

Dr. Riek Machar Teny’s legal team has formally challenged the handling of the Nasir case, describing it as a violation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the SPLM-IO. Dr. Geri Raimondu, head of Machar’s defense team, insisted that the matter should fall under the mandate of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring […]
Dr. Machar trial adjourned to Wednesday as judge orders independent media access

The trial of suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused has been adjourned until Wednesday after the presiding judge reiterated his order for independent media and public access to the courtroom. During Tuesday’s brief session, Judge James Alala underscored that transparency is critical to the integrity of the proceedings, which have drawn […]
How Dr. Machar’s charges turn country’s judiciary into a punchline

South Sudan’s already fragile justice system is under the microscope after glaring misquotations in the charge sheet against suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar triggered heated debate about the competence, independence, and political neutrality of the country’s judiciary. The case, formally titled Republic of South Sudan vs. Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon and others, […]
SPLM-IO condemns Machar suspension, warns of peace deal collapse

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has condemned the suspension of its leader, First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang, warning that the move threatens to collapse South Sudan’s fragile peace deal. On September 11, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs announced plans to arraign Dr. Machar and other SPLM-IO […]