South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) arrested and detained three relatives of Europe-based government critic Simon Dee on Monday and transferred them to an undisclosed detention facility in Juba, a family member and community leaders said.
The detainees were identified as Nyuol Ayat Adim, 42, Bol Akok, 45, and Akot Yuel Akok, 58, a community chief. Family members said security personnel took them from their homes in Juba and that their whereabouts remain unknown.
Simon Dee, who is based in the United Kingdom, has been an outspoken social media critic of the South Sudanese government and senior officials, including presidential envoy for special programmes Adut Salva Kiir, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny, and Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi.
He is known for using social media platforms to share political commentary, criticise the management of state resources and target senior government officials. Supporters describe him as a voice for accountability, while critics accuse him of spreading misinformation and using inflammatory language against the first family and senior officials.
A family member, speaking to Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity, said the arrests were linked to allegations that the three relatives were connected to Dee. The family said they had been unable to contact them since the arrests.
In a Facebook live broadcast in the Dinka language on Monday, Dee said security forces detained his relatives because of his criticism of government officials. He alleged that some officials had earlier urged his family to persuade him to stop criticising the government, which he refused.
He also alleged that security personnel confiscated phones from some relatives during earlier questioning before the three were later arrested.
The Akanyjok Community of Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, based in Juba, condemned the arrest of one of its chiefs, saying he was detained because of his relationship to Dee.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Peter Garang Angong Manyangdit, chairperson of the Akanyjok Community in Juba, the group identified the detained chief as Akot Yuel Akok and said he was being held at a National Security detention facility in the capital.
The community said the detained chief had not committed any offence warranting arrest and described the detention as unlawful and contrary to principles of justice, human rights and the rule of law.
“No citizen should be arrested merely because of family relations or association by blood,” the statement said.
The group called on authorities to either release the detainee immediately if no legal case existed against him or bring him before a competent court in accordance with legal procedures.
Activists also condemned the arrests, describing them as unlawful and a violation of constitutional rights, and said relatives should not be held responsible for the actions of a critic.
Civil society representative in Northern Bahr el Ghazal Peter Diing Ngong called for the detainees’ immediate release, saying the detention of family members over the actions of a relative violates human rights principles and due process.
When contacted, government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny could not comment on the matter.
NSS Spokesman David Kumuri could not immediately be reached for comment.
Under South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution, arrest and detention must be based on individual criminal responsibility and carried out in accordance with due process, meaning a person can only be detained where there is reasonable suspicion of personal involvement in an offence.
The NSS has faced criticism in recent years from activists, lawyers and international observers over arbitrary arrests and restrictions on civic and political freedoms.
The National Security Service Act grants the agency broad powers to arrest and detain individuals without warrants. Although South Sudanese law requires that a detainee be brought before a court within 24 hours of arrest, this provision is rarely respected by security forces.
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