June 12th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The lawyer for sentenced South Sudan businessman, Kerbino Wol, has said that they were intimidated during the court process on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, a Juba court sentenced Peter Biar, a civil rights activist and a youth leader to 2 years in prison. Kerbino Wol was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Ajak Bior who is also a lawyer for five other convicts said they witnessed intimidation in the court saying National Security officers were present sitting with them to sow fear in them.
“Throughout the trial of Karbino Wol, Peter Biar and the rest of our clients, what we witnessed inside the courtroom was intimidation,” Bior said. “In most cases, we have National Security officers sitting with the defending lawyers.”
Bior said early before the court began the verdicts, they appealed to the judges to led out the national security officers but instead the judge told them that they will not listen.
“We appealed to the prosecutor to let these senior officers stay outside the courtroom, but he told us that ‘they wouldn’t listen’,” Bior said.
He said the national security intimidated their witnesses and one of the witnesses has been arrested and is currently being held at the Blue House in Juba.
“Our witnesses were intimidated, and one of them is already arrested and currently in National Security’s Blue House,” he said.
