The narrative of this article is a review of Dr. Riek Machar’s humiliation following his requests for audio and video recordings of his court testimony. Since Friday, 7 August 2026, the Special Court has focused on Dr. Machar’s testimony, particularly his request for audio and video recordings. Before his testimony began, the defense team asked the court for permission to use independent audio and video recording equipment during his testimony. On Wednesday, the partial and politically motivated special court that is targeting Machar and senior members of the SPLM/A-IO rejected the request.
The objection was made available on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, during the 109th session of the court. Although there is no prognosticator who can foresee the future, many of us who guess the outcome of things based on their present nature knew the regime would not allow the request. The court’s justification was that permitting Dr. Machar to have his own audio and video recordings would undermine equal treatment among the accused. It asserted that similar arrangements were neither requested nor granted when the first four accused presented their testimonies.
This is a transparent attempt to obscure the undeniable reality that Dr. Machar is the primary target of this witch-hunt trial. This is a transparent attempt to obscure the undeniable reality that Dr. Machar is the primary target of this witch-hunt. This judicial circus, masquerading as a Special Court to try the Nasir Incident, is a sham trial that leaves out the real instigators who abrogated the peace agreement and conspired to fabricate the Nasir Incident.
In response to the defense’s highly justifiable demand for a reliable, independent record of the proceedings, the court deceitfully claimed that recordings could be obtained from the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), insisting it controls the records of all four in-house cameras. This blatant falsehood raises grave concerns of further bias. Given that the SSBC owns only three of the four cameras, why has the court permitted a fourth camera that belongs directly to the Office of the President to record the proceedings?
This specific camera is routinely brought in before morning sessions and removed afterward by a vehicle bearing red presidential license plates, clearly serving to update the president daily on the proceedings of the trial. The court had also rejected a separate request by Dr. Machar to submit written defense testimony after each session, ruling that written statements are admissible only after an accused person is formally charged and pleads not guilty.
Additionally, the panel cautioned defense counsel against allowing the accused to communicate directly with the bench. It advised Dr. Riek Machar to address the court solely through his legal team or formally request new representation if he had lost confidence in his current defense. All of these procedural maneuvers demonstrate the regime’s biased and blatant manipulation aimed at controlling the narrative, swaying public opinion, and predetermining the trial’s outcome.
They serve as further undeniable proof of what the regime continuously seeks to deny: this ongoing trial is nothing more than a politically and tribally motivated judicial circus. The trial has been adjourned until Friday 21 August, when Dr. Machar is expected to continue with his defense statement.
The court’s assertion that all defendants are subject to fundamental due process and have equal rights protection under the constitution, and that no recording or media access is applied uniformly rather than granting special privileges to specific individuals or high-profile cases, is biased. The court is not independent.
We know for sure Dr. Machar is innocent. The charges of treason, murder, and other serious crimes Salva Kiir brought against Dr. Riek Machar are baseless. Salva Kiir is the one who triggered all the violations of the peace agreement and abrogated the peace deal. In this case, President Kiir is everything: he is the judge, prosecutor, and the juror, given that all people who are running the case were handpicked by him.
In summary, the so-called Special Court in Juba rejected procedural requests from the defense team, citing mixed interpretations over fairness and the political climate surrounding the proceedings, stating it would grant Machar preferential treatment over his co-accused comrades. Dr. Riek Machar should be given special opportunities given his seniority in the country, so that the record of the trial is preserved for posterity. It is a horrible humiliation.
The writer is a political commentator. He can be reached via lulgatluak09@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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