Dr. Riek Machar, SPLM-IO leader, is currently undergoing trial over Nasir incident. (Courtesy photo)

The Special Court for the Nasir events has ordered security officials to facilitate a meeting between suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and his defense team, after lawyers said they were unable to meet with him despite an earlier court authorization.

The order was issued during the 104th session of the Special Court, which was attended by the prosecution, defense teams, and all eight defendants.

The defense raised the matter at the start of the session, stating it had been unable to meet Machar despite the court granting permission for the visit on August 3.

Defense lawyer Lual Kur told the court that security authorities had introduced new administrative procedures requiring prior notification of the security director before any visit could take place.

The defense requested the court’s intervention to allow lawyers access to their client.

In response, prosecution representative Ajo Ohisa noted that the defense had already been granted permission on August 3 and that the prosecution had not rejected the request.

He stated that when the defense team contacted the legal advisor responsible for the defendants’ security, they were asked to allow more time for necessary administrative procedures.

The prosecution informed the court that the defense could meet Machar after the session, provided the legal advisor was notified of the visit’s date.

However, the prosecution also raised a concern that one of the lawyers scheduled to visit Machar was not among those authorized by the court to communicate with the defendants.

Following deliberations, the court described the situation as an administrative problem and noted that the lack of coordination reflected negatively on the court.

To resolve the issue, the court issued the following directives:

The defense team is ordered to arrange a meeting with Machar on Thursday, and the legal advisor is instructed to facilitate the visit.

The defense team is directed not to bring anyone who is not officially recognized as part of the defense, strictly limiting the visit to the six lawyers accredited by the court.

The session was initially dedicated to questioning the fourth defendant, before the court was expected to proceed with the testimony of the fifth defendant, suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.