The presiding judge of the Special Court, Justice James Alala Deng, has officially ordered that all media outlets and members of the public be granted unrestricted access to the ongoing trial of Dr. Riek Machar Teny and seven other co-accused members of the SPLM-IO.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Justice Alala emphasized that the trial is now a public proceeding, and no media house or interested citizen should be denied entry or hindered by security personnel so long as they respect courtroom rules
“We would like to inform the audience that the court is open to the public. I mentioned this yesterday [Monday] that now the public hearing means citizens are allowed to access the court,” said Justice Alala. “Media all media houses are allowed to access the court and report.
They know how to report and what they are reporting. There is no reason to close or block any media house or any interested citizen. This must be clear.”
The judge’s directive comes amid growing public and media interest in the high-profile trial, which has drawn attention both locally and internationally.
The court has been adjourned until Wednesday, 24th September, following the presentation of the prosecution team’s response.
