JUBA – A former SPLM-IO official confirms that the first hearing in the case of indicted SPM-IO political detainees including suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar has been scheduled for Monday, September 22.
Machar’s former press secretary James Gatdet Dak Lampuar confirmed that court hearing for Dr. Machar and others will begin next week in Juba, adding that it is a politically motivated.
“The first hearing or session of the politically motivated trial of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, and 7 other political detainees, is ‘tentatively’ scheduled to take place on Monday,” he stated.
“The political prosecutors will present their concocted charges in a statement before a Panel of Judges. We will let the public know if any changes will be made vis-a-vis the court schedule, and many more.”
Gatdet stated that the SPLM-IO has rejected “the politically motivated and concocted charges” as well as its current “consequential summon” of the top leader to court.
“Now it will be up to the Judge to reject and dismiss the charges as baseless upon the submission by the political prosecutors.”
Gatdet stressed that the judges should examine whether it was unlawful to bypass the R-JMEC Mechanisms and the supposed established Hybrid Court.
Political crisis
The political crises in South Sudan was triggered by the White Army attack on a government military base and Nasir town on March 4, before armed men attacked a United Nations helicopter, killing a crew member, which the UN said may constitute a war crime.
Fighting between government forces and its allied militias and the White Army, SPLA-IO, and other armed groups since February 2025 has continued to escalate in Upper Nile and Equatoria regions, with the government bombarding Nasir, Fangak, Ulang and Ayod counties.
On September 11, justice minister Joseph Geng Akech announced the “conclusion of investigations into the Nasir incident March 3-7” in which 83 suspects from the SPLM-IO were interrogated.
Among them, 21 were indicted, 8 were under arrest and charged, 76 were discharged for lack of evidence, and 13 remained at large.
Those charged include Machar, Chol, Duop Lam, Dhuor, Puoch, Gatmai, Mading Riek Yak, and Dominic Gatgok Riak. They are charged with murder, treason, conspiracy and common intention, destruction of public property and military assets, terrorism financing, and crimes against humanity.
President Salva Kiir simultaneously suspended Machar as first vice president and Chol as petroleum minister.
