• Urgent Action

Urgent Action Victory! President Pardons Two Men Sentenced to Death (South Sudan: UA 240.17)

November 6, 2018

James Gatdet and William Endley received a presidential pardon on 31 October 2018. The president also ordered the immediate deportation of William Endley to his home country, South Africa. They were released on 2 November.

James Gatdet and William Endley received a presidential pardon on 31 October 2018. The president also ordered the immediate deportation of William Endley to his home country, South Africa. They were released on 2 November. James Gatdet, the former spokesman for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA-IO), and William Endley, a South African national and former adviser to the South Sudanese opposition leader, Riek Machar, were released on 2 November. Their release comes after they were granted a pardon by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir during celebrations attended by Riek Machar in the capital Juba, marking the latest peace agreement aimed at ending nearly five years of armed conflict in the country. The president also ordered the immediate deportation of William Endley back to South Africa. James Gatdet was sentenced to death on 12 February after he was convicted of treason, while William Endley was convicted and sentenced to death on 23 February for espionage, terrorism, spying and attempts to overthrow a constitutionally-established government. Thank you to all those who sent appeals. No further action is requested from the UA network. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES