The trial of South Sudan’s suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar and seven co-accused has been adjourned until Wednesday, 23 September, after his defence team raised security concerns about the lawyers and defendants.
The Special Court had been expected on Friday to rule on a defence application seeking clarification of the defendants’ constitutional right to legal representation, as well as a counter-application by the prosecution.
But during the 115th session, defence lawyers submitted a written application concerning their security to the court and prosecution.
The application followed concerns raised at an earlier hearing about alleged threats to the defence team and the eight accused.
Lead defence lawyer Geri Raimondo Legge told the court on Friday that the situation could pose a serious risk to the lives of those involved.
“My lord, we have an application to submit. There is a serious threat to the life of the defence and the eight accused persons, especially the fifth accused. It needs serious attention,” Legge said.
Presiding Judge James Alala Deng instructed the defence not to read the application in open court, meaning details of the alleged threats were not made public.
The judge then adjourned the proceedings to Wednesday 23 September, saying the delay was linked to security arrangements.
Machar and the seven other defendants are being tried over violence in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025, when government forces suffered heavy casualties.
They face charges including treason, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, 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), together with the White Army militia, killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers, including military commander General David Majur Dak, during an attack on a military garrison in Nasir.
The prosecution has also alleged that military equipment worth about $58m was destroyed or seized during the fighting.
Machar and the other defendants have denied the charges.
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