Lawyers representing suspended South Sudanese First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused have asked the court to allow them to make their own audio and video recordings of proceedings, arguing that this would help ensure equal treatment of the parties.
During the 107th session of the trial at Freedom Hall in Juba on Wednesday, lead defence lawyer Dr. Geri Raimondo Legge responded to the prosecution’s written objection to an earlier application for permission to record the proceedings.
Legge said the defence wanted to operate its own camera to ensure it had access to a record of the proceedings, pointing to what he said were two cameras operated by the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) and another camera that the defence believed belonged to the prosecution.
“We believe that the two cameras up there belong to SSBC and one near us down, we believe belongs to prosecution. For the sake of equal protection and treatment, we pray that the defence should be allowed to record to have its own,” Legge told the court.
He submitted the original copy of the defence response to the court and the prosecution.
Lead prosecutor Ajo Ony’Ohisa acknowledged receipt of the defence’s response but said it raised issues that had not previously been before the court.
Ohisa also disputed the defence’s assertion that the prosecution had its own camera in the courtroom.
“As prosecution, we acknowledged the receipt of comment of the defence team on our response to their application,” he said. “We would like to point out that the comment raised new issues. We don’t have a camera in the courtroom and it will be left for the court to decide.”
The court adjourned the proceedings until Monday, Aug. 17, when it is expected to rule on the defence application to make its own audio and video recordings.
Machar, the fifth accused in the case, is on trial with seven other defendants over violence in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025. Government forces suffered heavy casualties during the fighting.
The defendants face charges including treason, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, treason, destruction of public property and crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors allege that forces aligned with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the White Army killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers, including commander General David Majur Dak, during an attack on a military garrison in Nasir.
They also allege that military equipment worth about $58 million was destroyed or seized.
Machar and the other defendants have denied the charges.
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