South Sudan Court Labeled "Illegal" by Defense Lawyer
A defense lawyer for Riek Machar, the suspended First Vice President of South Sudan, has argued that the special court trying his client is operating unlawfully.
The court has become jurisdictionally incompetent and unlawful
The lawyer, Geri Raimondo Legge, claims the court's legal mandate expired last week, and has filed a motion to dismiss the case and secure the release of all eight accused.
- The court was established by a ministerial order with a one-month mandate from September 9.
- Machar's party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), has dismissed the trial as politically motivated.
Author's summary: Machar's lawyer argues court is operating unlawfully.