Amid tight security measures, the trial of South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar on charges of “treason” commenced on Monday in the capital, Juba.
Machar’s lawyer, Jerry Raimundo Lej, described the trial as “unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid,” arguing that Machar still enjoys immunity as the sitting vice president.
Earlier this month, seven of Machar’s allies, including the Minister of Petroleum, were also charged.
In court, Machar’s lawyer called for the immediate release of “Riek Machar Teny, the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, along with the seven accused, who have been detained unconstitutionally.”
Prosecutor Agu Onny Ohisa Egili dismissed the defense’s arguments as “weak and baseless.”
The South Sudanese government accuses Machar of supporting the White Army during clashes with the army in the town of Nasir in the northeast in March, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians and the displacement of more than 80,000 people.
