A UN radio journalist who has been under detention since last year should be allowed to defend himself through a lawyer, civil society group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization has appealed.

It has been almost five months now since Mr. George Livio was detained by security agents.

He has not been charged with any offense and has been denied legal aid and contact with family.

The executive director of CEPO, Edmond Yakani, says a defense lawyer of the journalist has been denied access to his client since the journalist was detained in August.

The South Sudan Transitional Constitution, 2011 stipulates that ‘any accused person has the right to defend himself or herself in person or through a lawyer of his or her own choice or to have legal aid assigned to him or her by the government where he or she cannot afford a lawyer to defend him or her in any serious offence’.

“Denying the lawyer of the detained UN journalist access to his client it is violation of constitutional article 19(8),” Mr Yakani said in a press statement.

He calls on the Human Rights Commission to intervene.