07/08/2026
𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟓𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐇.𝐄. 𝐃𝐑. 𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐊 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐌/𝐀—𝐈𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐒
Juba, August 7, 2026 — The SPLM-IG-established sham court, known as the Special Court on the Incident of Nasir, held its 105th session this morning at its usual venue, Freedom Hall. The tribunal specifically targets leaders and members of the SPLM/A-IO, notably the Movement’s Chairman, Commander-in-Chief, and First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon.
During today’s court session, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon—a principal signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the sitting First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Chairperson of the Governance Cluster, and Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A-IO—appeared before the sham court as the fifth accused to present his defense against the fabricated and baseless charges in this politically and tribally motivated trial. The ongoing proceedings target him and other SPLM/A-IO leaders in the wake of the March 2025 clashes in Nasir between local armed youth and the SSPDF (Case No. 15533/2025). H.E. Dr. Riek Machar initially requested audio and video recordings of his defense testimony—a request subsequently followed by a formal written application from the defense team seeking the court's permission to record the proceedings.
𝐇.𝐄. 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐢𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐲-𝐃𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭
Addressing the bench regarding the integration of technology and the preservation of the trial record, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon stated:
“May it please the Court!
Your Lordships, There is no question that this high-profile case carries exceptionally high stakes. Bearing this in mind, it is my respectful request that the court ensure we make maximum use of current technology to our advantage. I was greatly encouraged by the statement made by the Registrar of the Judiciary upon receiving—on Friday, June 19, 2026—eleven (11) laptop computers as a donation from UNMISS. To quote part of that statement: ‘We will digitalize the Judiciary with these computers.’ It is my hope and prayer that we initiate this reform today.”
Continuing his submission regarding the introduction of audio-visual recording and the submission of written statements to ease the burden on the court, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon stated:
“Your Lordships, I further pray for leave to introduce defense video and audio recordings into this chamber, just as the Prosecution has done regarding the SSBC, and as the Bench has similarly done. We have one ready for this purpose. Furthermore, Your Lordships, I propose to hand over to this Special Court copies of my written statement at the start of each session, pursuant to Section 229(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 2008. This proposal is intended to relieve Your Lordships from the burden of transcribing my lengthy submissions, should the Court be so inclined. I noted your remark during Session 89 on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, that your ‘…hand is tired of writing…’ I believe the same applies to other members of the Bench, particularly Justice Stephen and Justice Isaac.”
Outlining the specific motivations behind his procedural requests concerning efficiency, historical record, legal precedent, and the integrity of the evidence, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon stated:
“Your Lordships, I make this request for four reasons:
1. for the sake of efficiency and time-saving, given that my statement will be somewhat extensive;
2. for the sake of posterity, so that one day—when the political and security climate is conducive—the proceedings of this trial may be broadcast on television or radio and printed verbatim in the media for the people of South Sudan to know the truth;
3. for academic and legal purposes, that this may be cited as a precedent in courts and academic institutions, as this is the first trial of a sitting First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan in our nation's history; and
4. to ensure that the chain of custody regarding our testimonies in this case remains unbroken. This will prevent unauthorized interference and manipulation through alteration, editing, addition, deletion, or mixing, such as we witnessed during the presentation of the digital forensic expert, Mr. Calvin Rafadi, who displayed a video compiled from audio recordings of two different occasions in the case of Hon. Puot Kang Chol. Your Lordships, I await your guidance on these requests.”
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The defense team filed a formal written application to the sham court seeking permission to audio and video record H.E. Dr. Machar’s defense testimony. The defense's request stems from the fact that easy access to the testimony recordings would enable them to verify the accuracy of the official transcript, identify any discrepancies between the oral testimony and the written record, and better prepare their legal submissions.
For their part, the prosecution acknowledged receiving Dr. Machar and the defense’s application to record the remaining testimony by video and audio, and requested the sham court's permission to file their written response at the next session.
The defense team raised no objection to the prosecution filing its response in writing.
After hearing from both sides, Judge Stephen Simon Binjigwa—a member of the Sham Court Panel of Judges—ruled that the court would continue hearing H.E. Dr. Riek Machar’s defense testimony while awaiting the prosecution’s response. The court expects to receive this response at the next session before issuing its ruling on the application submitted by Dr. Machar and his defense team.
The sham trial has been adjourned until Monday, August 10, when the First Vice President, SPLM/A-IO Chairman, and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar, is expected to continue his defense statement.
The SPLM/A (IO) continues to vigorously reject the so-called "Special Court", considering it a tool to abrogate the Revitalized Agreement and target H.E. Dr. Riek Machar and the SPLM/A (IO) through a perceived political witch-hunt. The movement reiterated its demands for the immediate and unconditional release of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar and all SPLM/A (IO) detainees.
𝑪𝒅𝒆. 𝑷𝒖𝒐𝒌 𝑩𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒈
