Machar meets lawyers ahead of court defense after judge ordered access

Lawyers representing suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar have confirmed they met with him on Thursday after a special court ordered security authorities to grant the defense team access to prepare for his testimony in the ongoing trial.

In a public notice issued Thursday evening, the Office of the Suspended First Vice President said the defense team met Dr. Machar at his residence in Amarat, where he has been under house arrest since March 25, 2025.

The statement said the lawyers finalized his defense statement ahead of his scheduled court appearance on Friday at Freedom Hall in Juba.

The office said Dr. Machar was “in high spirits” and ready to present his defense before the court.

The meeting followed a directive issued by the Special Court on Wednesday after defense lawyers complained that security officials had denied them access to their client despite an earlier court authorization.

During the hearing, the defense told the court they had been unable to consult Dr. Machar to prepare his testimony because of new administrative requirements imposed by security authorities.

In response, Presiding Judge James Alala Deng instructed the legal adviser of the National Security Service to facilitate the meeting and ordered that the defense team be granted access to Dr. Machar at his residence at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday.

The judge further directed that only lawyers whose names officially appear on the court’s approved defense list should participate in the visit.

According to the prosecution, the previous visit had failed because the defense team included an advocate who was not formally recognized by the court as part of Dr. Machar’s legal team, raising security concerns.

Defense lawyers argued that the restrictions impeded their ability to prepare an effective defense.

Thursday’s meeting appeared to comply with the court’s directive, allowing the defense team to complete preparations before Dr. Machar’s expected appearance today, when he is scheduled to present his defense in the high-profile case stemming from the March 2025 violence in Nasir.