Sudan’s judiciary authorities announced that it will be launching the public trial of deposed president Omar al-Bashir and dozens of his regime’s leaders, accused of staging a coup against the country’s democracy in 1989.
Since his ouster, Bashir and many of his aides have been kept in Khartoum's Kober prison on multiple charges. Former officials Ali Othman Taha, Ahmed Mohamed Haroun and Abdulreheem Mohamed Hussein have been held in Khartoum’s Kober prison since Bashir’s military ouster.
Some of the held officials were released on bail.
On Monday, Public Prosecution referred five cases in which investigations were completed. They included three corruption cases involving Abdullah Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir (Bashir’s brother) and Muhammad Othman Kabir.
A case of premeditated murder in which the accused is a Rapid Support Forces officer was also referred.
The judiciary has indicated it will provide courtrooms and judges to conduct the trials. It stressed that the courts will observe coronavirus precautions.
Bashir, who ruled the country for 30 years and was deposed by a military coup on April 11, 2019, was convicted on charges of corruption and currency irregularities in December 2019. He was sentenced to two years in a ‘correctional facility’ designed for older prisoners.
Bashir has also been charged with incitement and involvement in the killing of demonstrators during the protests that led to his removal from power. In December he was questioned about his role in the 1989 coup that brought him to power.
The Attorney General Tajelsir El Hibir said earlier on Monday that the Investigation Committee into the violent break-up of the Khartoum sit-in on June 3, 2019, has so far questioned more than 1,000 witnesses. The Public Prosecution cannot interfere with or influence the committee’s work.
He appealed to the international community to cooperate with Sudan in extraditing indictees who now live abroad.
The National Judicial Service Commission reinstated 25 judges in the Supreme Court. They had been dismissed arbitrarily during the period of Bashir's rule.
