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South Sudanese activist Peter Biar Ajak (centre) during his first appearance at the judiciary headquarters in Juba, South Sudan, on March 21, 2019 (File Photo)
South Sudanese activist Peter Biar Ajak (centre) during his first appearance at the judiciary headquarters in Juba, South Sudan, on March 21, 2019 (File Photo)

A South Sudanese activist, known for his criticism of the country’s government, has been sentenced in the United States for conspiring to export weapons illegally, court records showed on Friday.

According to the US Department of Justice, Peter Biar Ajak and another man were sentenced to prison in the US for conspiring to export military-grade weapons from the US to South Sudan. Ajak, 42, had entered the US on asylum status, having fled South Sudan in fear of political persecution.

A Harvard fellow, he will now serve 46 months in prison by US District Judge Sharad H. Desai in Arizona. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. However, he had already served 22 months behind bars as he awaited the decision of the court.

Source: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/peter-biar-ajak-jailed-in-us-arms-conspiracy-case-5351412