Lam made the allegations on Monday while presenting his defence during the 98th session of the ongoing trial involving suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and seven other senior officials.
Appearing before the court, Lam claimed that he spent seven months in an underground detention facility at Jamus, where he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse.
“I was taken to an underground prison; it is full of physical and mental torture gadgets. My legs were chained up with 3 kilos of weight and locked with padlocks,” Lam told the court.
He alleged that conditions at the detention facility were harsh, claiming that he was forced to sleep on the floor, denied adequate food, and deprived of medical care despite suffering from hypertension.
“In this prison, there were no sleeping mattresses; a prisoner had to lie on the floor. There was not enough food, and there was no medical treatment despite my medical history of having hypertension,” he said.
Lam further alleged that prison authorities restricted his access to sanitation facilities, claiming that he sometimes spent several days without being allowed to use the toilet.
“The prison guards went to great lengths to interfere with human calls of nature; sometimes, I would spend three to four days without going to the toilet,” he told the court.
The detained army officer also alleged that three of Machar’s bodyguards, who were transferred from the Tiger Division detention facility to Military Intelligence custody, were subjected to similar physical and psychological abuse.
“On 11 April 2026, three officers who were bodyguards of First Vice President Dr Riek Machar Teny were transferred from Tiger Prison to the Military Intelligence Maximum Prison to join me, Brig. Gen. Mark Didi Dhieu, Brig. Gen. Par Dang, and Major Hoth Chok,” Lam said.
He further claimed that Gabriel Kuok Dang, a special guard attached to Machar who was arrested from an unknown location, was also transferred to the Jamus underground detention facility.
Lam also challenged the legality of his arrest, saying he was detained on March 4, 2025, at Bilpam, the headquarters of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), in a manner that violated military procedures and the provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“I was arrested on 4 March 2025 at 10:30 AM in Bilpam, the army headquarters. The arrest was random and unprocedural considering the position I hold as the second-in-command of the army and also considering the Revitalized Peace Agreement that binds our decision-making, which is by consensus from both sides in the Joint Defence Board,” he said.
Lam argued that the Chief of Defence Forces did not have the authority to order his arrest without approval from President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who serves as Commander-in-Chief of the SSPDF.
“Based on the terms of reference agreed upon during the Khartoum Military Workshop in 2018, this means that I cannot be arrested by the Chief of Defence Forces without approval from the Commander-in-Chief of the SSPDF and the president, who is to consult with the First Vice President, who serves as deputy chair of the National Defence Council and National Security Council,” he said.
The court adjourned the hearing until July 23, 2026, when Lam is expected to continue presenting his defence.
The trial, which has attracted national attention because of the senior political and military figures involved, is being presided over by Judge James Alala Deng, alongside Justices Stephen Simon and Isaac Pur Majok.
The prosecution team consists of 13 lawyers drawn from the Ministry of Justice and other legal institutions, including Counsel General Deng Achuil Adija, Dr Sabri Wani Lado, Serafino Simon Mizan, and Filberto Mayuot Mareng.
The accused are represented by a six-member defence team, including Dr Geri Raymond Legge, Kur Lual Kur, and Anis Tombe Augustino.
Investigations into the case are being led by Major General Basile Thomas Wani, assisted by Brigadier General John Dak, while Captain Richard Gachi Apollo of the Internal Security Service is listed as the complainant.
Those standing trial include Dr Riek Machar, Puot Kang Chuol, Mam Pal Dhuor, Gatwech Lam Puoch, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Camilo Gatmai Kel, Mading Yak Riek, and Dominic Gatgok Riek.
The court is expected to continue examining evidence presented in the case, including digital forensic materials cited by prosecutors as part of alleged links between political figures and armed groups.
