Rivonia Trial

E51214

The Rivonia Trial was a landmark 1963–1964 South African court case in which Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were prosecuted and ultimately sentenced to long prison terms for sabotage and related charges, drawing global attention to the struggle against apartheid.

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form As subject As object
State v Mandela and Others 0 1
The State v Nelson Mandela and Others 0 1

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf court case
political trial
alsoKnownAs Rivonia Trial
surface form: State v Mandela and Others

Rivonia Trial
surface form: The State v Nelson Mandela and Others
charge conspiracy to overthrow the government
furthering the aims of communism
recruitment for foreign military training
recruitment for guerrilla warfare
sabotage
soliciting funds from foreign states
country South Africa
court Supreme Court of South Africa
defendant Ahmed Kathrada
Andrew Mlangeni
Bob Hepple
Denis Goldberg
Elias Motsoaledi
Govan Mbeki
James Kantor
Lionel Bernstein
Nelson Mandela
Raymond Mhlaba
Walter Sisulu
defenseArgument moral justification for armed struggle against apartheid
endDate 1964-06-12
evidenceSeizedAt Lilliesleaf Farm
historicalSignificance drew international condemnation of apartheid
landmark in the global anti-apartheid movement
impactOnMandela elevated Nelson Mandela as a global symbol of resistance
judge Quartus de Wet
languageOfProceedings English
legalBasis Suppression of Communism Act
surface form: Sabotage Act

Suppression of Communism Act
legalOutcome eight defendants convicted
two defendants acquitted
location Pretoria, South Africa
surface form: Pretoria
mediaCoverage extensive international attention
notableDefendantRole Nelson Mandela
surface form: Nelson Mandela was a leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe
notableSpeech I Am Prepared to Die
organizationInvolved African National Congress
South African Communist Party
Umkhonto we Sizwe
politicalContext apartheid
precededBy raid on Lilliesleaf Farm in Rivonia
prosecutor Percy Yutar
resultedIn imprisonment of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island
long-term imprisonment of senior ANC leaders
sentence life imprisonment
startDate 1963-10-09
theme struggle against apartheid

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Rivonia Trial alsoKnownAs Rivonia Trial
this entity surface form: State v Mandela and Others
Rivonia Trial alsoKnownAs Rivonia Trial
this entity surface form: The State v Nelson Mandela and Others
Long Walk to Freedom describesEvent Rivonia Trial
Nelson Mandela significantEvent Rivonia Trial