Former Sudanese President al-Bashir sentenced for two two years on corruption charges

A Sudanese court on Saturday convicted former president Omar al-Bashir on corruption charges and sentenced him to two years of detention in a reform facility, the first ruling against the ex-leader ousted by mass unrest.

The presiding judge said Bashir, 75, who was deposed by the military in April following months of street protests against his three-decade rule, was being sent to the reform facility, rather than a prison, on account of his age.

He also ordered the confiscation of millions of euros and Sudanese pounds found in Bashir’s residence when he was toppled. Bashir’s prosecution is a test of how fast and how far military and civilian authorities now sharing power in Sudan will act to overturn his legacy.

Ahead of Saturday’s verdict, hundreds of supporters of the Islamist ex-president gathered in streets near the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum.

Troops and military vehicles were deployed in the area, blocking access to the palace and the Defence Ministry, and there was a heavy security presence at the court.

Via Reuters