‘Guns were drawn in the court’: Biar and Wol sentenced to years in prison

Peter Biar Ajak and Karbino Wol in court

Peter Biar Ajak and Karbino Wol in court Source: Supplied

South Sudanese activist Peter Biar Ajak and former National Security officer Karbino Wol have been sentenced to many years in prison, Wol’s lawyer tells SBS Dinka.


Karbino was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for his role in the National Security prison riot in October of 2018. Peter Biar Ajak, of whom the reasons for his arrest in July of 2018 were not made public, was also sentenced to two years for speaking to the media while in prison during the riot. The lawyer for Karbino Wol tells SBS Dinka that the trial was not fair because the witnesses for their clients were intimidated.

"Throughout the trial of Karbino Wol, Peter Biar and the rest of our clients, what we witnessed inside the courtroom was intimidation. In most cases, we have National Security officers sitting with the defending lawyers. We appealed to the prosecutor to let these senior officers stay outside the courtroom, but he told us that ‘they wouldn't listen'. Our witnesses were intimidated, and one of them is already arrested and currently in National Security's Blue House. They weren't allowed to testify. Despite the sentences, we are going to appeal because we have a strong case. The constitution itself was violated, and we must argue our case. During the verdict, guns were drawn at us... Some individuals have threatened me to the point of saying, 'You can be killed, people mourn for three days then you will be forgotten'.”


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