Journalist, activist report assault, brief arrest during Machar trial

On 22 Sept, 2025, A journalist and a civil rights activist were assaulted, briefly detained, and abused by security forces during the opening session of suspended First Vice President Riek Machar’s court trial in Juba The journalist was denied entry to the courtroom and later assaulted by police officers while leaving the venue. Meanwhile, the activist was then kicked in the neck and head, his face covered with a dirty cloth to conceal his identity, and forced into a National Security Service vehicle.