Sudan: Bashir’s Trial Adjourned to September

Adjourned to September 15th, the trial of ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir over the Islamist-backed coup that enabled him to take power 1989 — which he then maintained for 30 years.

The presiding judge made the declaration on Tuesday following procedural questions and inquiries about covid-19 prevention measures in the courtroom during the session broadcast on Sudan TV. Bashir and other figures from his regime were shown standing behind bars in the courtroom amidst tight security.

Tag al-Din Banaga, a defence lawyer for the National Congress Party, shared some information, "There is another request that we are insisting on and is related to the establishment of the court itself: the constitutional document that is governing the ruling during the transitional period states that ‘There are no special courts’ and he is now being tried in a special court with all the procedures of the special court, and this for us is a violation of the constitutional document."

Bashir — who is facing the death penalty, could also stand trial before the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity as per the request of new authorities in February

The trial comes as Sudan's joint civilian-military transitional government is pushing a wave of political and social reforms and on Monday agreed on a peace deal with most rebel groups.

Omar al-Bashir was indicted by the ICC over the Darfur conflict that erupted in 2003 when rebels from the ethnic minority began a violent uprising — accusing Khartoum of political and economic marginalisation of their region.

The United Nations estimates around 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced as a result of the conflict.