NextFin news, South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President Riek Machar appeared in court on Monday, September 22, 2025, in the capital city of Juba as his treason trial officially began under heavy security measures.
Machar, who has been under house arrest since March 26, 2025, faces multiple charges including treason, murder, conspiracy against the state, and crimes against humanity. These charges stem from an alleged attack on a military base in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025, which the government claims resulted in the deaths of more than 250 soldiers and General David Majur Dak. Authorities accuse Machar of ordering the assault, which he denies, calling the trial politically motivated.
The trial is being held at Freedom Hall in Juba, a venue symbolic of South Sudan’s struggle for independence. The court session was presided over by a three-judge panel comprising James Alala, Stephen Simon, and Isaac Four.
Access to the trial was heavily restricted. Private media outlets, victims’ families, and civil society members were barred from attending, with only the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation allowed to cover the proceedings. Roads leading to the venue were sealed off, causing significant traffic disruptions in the capital. The Union of Journalists of South Sudan condemned the media restrictions as a violation of press freedom guaranteed by the country’s constitution.
Machar’s legal team, led by former Court of Appeal justice Dr. Geri Raimondo and senior advocate Kur Lual, challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), such cases should be tried by a Hybrid Court rather than a domestic tribunal. They also contended that Machar retains immunity as a sitting vice president, rendering the trial unconstitutional. Prosecutors, led by Ajo Noel Julius, dismissed these claims as unfounded and asserted the special court has full constitutional authority due to the gravity of the crimes and their impact on national security.
The hearing was adjourned to Tuesday, September 23, 2025, to allow the defense time to review case files shared by the prosecution.
Seven of Machar’s allies, including former Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Chief of Staff General Gabriel Duop Lam, are also standing trial alongside him.
The trial has raised concerns about the fragile peace in South Sudan, where Machar and President Salva Kiir have a long history of rivalry that fueled a civil war from 2013 to 2018, which killed nearly 400,000 people. Machar’s suspension by President Kiir earlier this month has been condemned by Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) party as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement.
Human rights groups and civil society organizations have questioned the transparency and independence of the judicial process, particularly due to the exclusion of independent media and victims’ families from the trial. The daughter of the late General David Majur Dak criticized the restrictions, emphasizing that justice must be witnessed by the living to have meaning.
The trial also follows the recent death of Captain Luka Gathok Nyuon, a close bodyguard of Machar, who died in detention at a military facility in Juba.
As the proceedings continue, observers will closely watch whether the court maintains jurisdiction and if access for the public and independent media will be restored, which will serve as a measure of South Sudan’s commitment to justice, transparency, and adherence to the 2018 peace deal.
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