Sudan’s Bashir Trial Resumes

Court resumed, today, Tuesday, the trial of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir over his role in the 1989 military coup that brought him to power, after it was postponed for several times.

The supreme Criminal Court in Sudan decided a week ago to postpone the trial session of Al-Bashir and 27 others, to September 22.

Last December, Khartoum Criminal Court sentenced former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to 2 years in a rehabilitation facility over financial corruption, possessing foreign currency ,and money laundering charges, while his money will be confiscated.

The court said that al-Bashir, 75, was sent to rehabilitation facility rather than a prison, on account of his age, according to Sudanese law.

Al-Bashir’s trial began on August 19, two days after the signing of a historic agreement between the military council and the leaders of the protest movement, to share power during the transitional period.

Bashir was forced out of power last April when security forces withdrew their support for his regime after months of popular protests. He was sent to the highly-guarded Kober prison in Khartoum.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for his arrest to answer charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity but Sudan has insisted it would not hand him over. Thousands of people were killed, maimed and tortured in Darfur.

The United Nations estimated that between 200,000 and 400,000 people died in the conflict, with a further 2.7 million displaced. Militia formed and directed by Al-Bashir are blamed for the worst atrocities.