Machar’s allies moved to Blue House as treason, murder trial enters eighth day

JUBA – Three of the co-accused in the murder and treason trial involving Dr Riek Machar have been moved from their initial detention facilities to Blue House, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), revealed on Wednesday.

Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of the SSPDF and Co-Chair of the Joint Defence Board; First Lieutenant Mading Yak Riek, a radio-signal operator; and Dominic Gatgok Riek, a generator operator at the Office of the First Vice President, were transferred from the Jamus and Tiger detention centres in Giada to the Blue House, according to Puok Both Baluang, the Acting Press Secretary in Machar’s office.

The trio joined suspended Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, who has been in a detention facility for over seven months as the trial continues.

The Special Court convened its eighth session on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at Freedom Hall in Juba, amid growing concerns from the defence team over what it described as unlawful evidence submissions and violations of due process.

During the proceedings, the prosecution submitted four additional exhibits and two physical items as evidence against Machar and his co-accused. Despite strong objections from the defence lawyers, the court admitted the exhibits in principle.

Among the key submissions were documents from the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Justice regarding the extraction and photographing of data from electronic devices allegedly belonging to the detainees, as well as a report from the National Security Service about a radio-signal device said to be owned by Machar.

The defence team argued that the evidence was obtained in violation of Article 22 of the Transitional Constitution, which guarantees the right to privacy, and Articles 107 and 108 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2008, which outline lawful search and seizure procedures. They contended that the devices were confiscated without a warrant from a competent court or the Public Prosecution, rendering the evidence inadmissible.

Another disputed exhibit included a report signed by South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Santino Deng Wol, concerning the evacuation of troops from Nasir in March 2025.

Defence lawyers maintained that Dr Machar had coordinated the evacuation with the knowledge and approval of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Council of Ministers, and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), describing the document as an attempt to politicise a coordinated humanitarian operation.

The prosecution also submitted a press statement issued by the United Nations Security Council on March 21, 2025, condemning an attack on UN personnel in Nasir but making no reference to the SPLM/A-IO leadership or the accused individuals.

In addition, the prosecution presented two physical exhibits—a Samsung mobile phone and a MacBook laptop—allegedly belonging to Machar. However, the court deferred its ruling on the admissibility of the devices until the arrival of a forensic expert contracted to analyse the extracted data.

Following the session, the court granted permission for the defence lawyers to visit the seven SPLM/A-IO detainees held at the National Security Service’s Blue House detention facility in Juba for one hour.

The court also granted permission for one of the accused, Gatwech Lam Puoch, to visit his family to pay condolences following the death of a relative.

In a statement following the proceedings, the SPLM/A-IO reiterated its rejection of what it calls the “so-called Special Court,” describing it as a political instrument designed to undermine the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. The movement called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Dr Machar and all detained SPLM/A-IO members.

The trial, which centres on allegations of treason and murder in connection with the March 2025 “Nasir Incident,” is expected to resume on Monday, October 13, 2025.