The two activists from Lol state who were recently detained in Juba have been released on bail after being transferred to Aweil town.

Two weeks ago, Michael Akol Wek and Nicodemus Nguet told Eye Radio that their lives were in danger after they blamed the state government for failing to deliver services to its people.

In a Facebook post, Akol had also declared that he would run for Lol State governorship when election time comes.

As a result, the state government allegedly had him fired by the United Methodist Committee on Relief organization, for which he was working as project officer.

A week later, a close friend said men in civilian cloth forced Akol Wek into a car and whisked him to a police station in Juba.

Mario Dhieu Malek said the two were transferred to Aweil police prison from Juba on Monday.

“They are now in Aweil where they waiting for the court hearing,” Dhieu told Eye Radio Wednesday.

The charges against the young men are yet to be known. The Lol state government officials Eye Radio has been trying to contact keep rejecting calls.

Restrictions on freedom of expression in South Sudan are having a “chilling effect” and “further shrinking the space for debate and dissent” in the conflict-affected country, according to the UN.

It says freedom of expression, which is granted by the transitional constitution, is essential for peace in the country.

“All parties to the conflict must respect people’s right to freedom of expression regardless of their ethnicity, beliefs or political views,” it argues in a recent report.