South Sudanese activist Simon Dee, a critic of the government, has called on authorities to either release his three relatives or take them before a competent court after they were detained more than a month ago, allegedly because of his political activism.
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.
Dee, who is based in the United Kingdom, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the detention of his relatives over his social media activities was unlawful and amounted to collective punishment.
He said the government should release the detainees, reveal the whereabouts of the two uncles whose locations remain unknown, or take them to a competent court.
Dee has been an outspoken critic of senior officials, including Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes Adut Salva Kiir, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny, and Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi. Through social media, he regularly comments on governance, corruption, and the management of public resources.
Supporters describe him as an advocate for accountability, while critics accuse him of spreading misinformation and using inflammatory language against government officials.
Dee accused Akol Santo, private secretary to President Salva Kiir, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny, Executive Director in the Office of the President Deng Wal, and Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi of being behind the arrests of his relatives.
According to Dee, government representatives previously approached his family and urged them to persuade him to stop criticising senior officials online.
“They went to my family and warned that what your son Simon is doing is not good and as government we can even deport him back, but before that we want you to talk to him to stop criticising government officials on social media,” he said.
Dee said he left South Sudan after becoming disillusioned with conditions in the country and later travelled to Europe through Libya, where he said he was detained and mistreated.
“Because I was not happy with what is happening in the country, I left and went to Europe. I have to speak out since I am now outside the country for the people of South Sudan to know the bad situation in the country and for them to be free,” he said.
He said the arrests were intended to intimidate him and pressure him into ending his criticism of corruption and alleged misconduct by government officials.
Dee said two of the detainees, his uncles Bol Akok and Nyuol Ayat Adim, had been taken to undisclosed locations. He said the whereabouts of Akot Yuel Akok were known because he is being held at the National Security Service detention facility known as the Blue House.
“My community met the vice president and other officials to know the whereabouts of the two detainees, but they denied knowledge of the arrests and said they do not know where those people are,” he said.
Dee argued that South Sudanese citizens have a constitutional right to freedom of expression and should not be punished for the actions or opinions of relatives.
“We have the right to speak out and express ourselves as youth of this country. Everyone should be held accountable for a crime he or she has committed, not held accountable for a crime committed by someone else,” he said.
Responding to accusations that he focuses on personal attacks rather than national issues, Dee denied targeting individuals’ private lives, saying his activism centres on exposing corruption and malpractice within government institutions.
“For example, when money is stolen in J1, I expose this and mention the names of the individuals involved. This is what angers them,” he said, referring to the presidential office.
He said his activism aims to hold officials accountable and expose alleged misuse of public resources.
Dee also called for dialogue and peace with opposition groups, saying stability and equal rights for all citizens were essential for South Sudan’s future.
“The president should focus on peace now with the rebels. Also, arresting people arbitrarily and without charges is not good,” he said.
Lual Dau, Secretary General of the opposition United People’s Alliance (UPA), condemned the detention of individuals because of their association with government critics, citing the case of Dee’s relatives.
“The arrest of individuals simply because they are associated with government critics and political actors is a serious miscarriage of justice in South Sudan,” he said.
“Punishing innocent people for their perceived association with political figures or activists undermines the principles of fairness, due process, and the rule of law.”
Dau said the detainees should be released immediately and unconditionally.
“These people are innocent. Their only crime is that they are related to Simon Dee by blood. No citizen should be subjected to arrest, intimidation, or detention solely because of their relationship, friendship, or political affiliation with another person,” he said.
Dau also welcomed the recent release from National Security Service detention of General Manasseh Machar, General Kuot Garang, and others, while calling for the release of other political detainees, including First Vice President Riek Machar, former vice president Benjamin Bol Mel, former National Security Service director general Akol Koor, and others he said remain in detention.
Government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny could not immediately be reached for comment.
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