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Bashir lawyers seek release on bail as corruption trial continues
[Al Jazeera] Sudan's deposed President Omar al-Bashir ...Former President-for-Life of Sudan He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself head cheese. He fell out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Hee was overthrown by popular consent in 2019. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it... has appeared in court for the second hearing of his corruption trial, during which his legal team asked for his release on bail. Al-Bashir sat in the same metal cage he appeared in on Monday when his trial in the capital, Khartoum, opened. In the first hearing, an investigator said al-Bashir had admitted to receiving at least $90m in cash from Saudi royals in recent years. On Saturday, the judge heard three witnesses, one banker and two Sherlocks who searched al-Bashir's residence after his military removal from power in April in the face of mass protests against his 30-year rule. "We ask the court to release the accused on bail," al-Bashir's lawyer Hashem Abu Bakr said, to which the judge answered he would examine a written request. The trial is set to resume on August 31. After the hearing, as a large security convoy escorted al-Bashir back to prison, two opposing groups of demonstrators staged protests. One group of a few dozen protesters were chanting slogans for al-Bashir to face justice not just over corruption but for his role in the country's deadly conflicts. "Bashir is a killer" and "he has to face justice", some of the demonstrators chanted. Another smaller group had gathered in support of the deposed president. So far, the military, which overthrew al-Bashir on April 11, says he will not be extradited to the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s. Related: Omar al-Bashir: 2019-08-23 Sudan’s new prime minister vows to rebuild battered economy Omar al-Bashir: 2019-08-21 Sudan’s Bashir ‘got $90m from Saudi royals’, official tells court Omar al-Bashir: 2019-08-15 Sudan's Rebels Want Role in Transitional Government Related: Khartoum: 2019-08-22 Members of Sudanese ‘Sovereign Council’ revealed Khartoum: 2019-08-21 Sudan’s Bashir ‘got $90m from Saudi royals’, official tells court Khartoum: 2019-08-18 Euphoria grips Sudan as historic transition deal to civilian rule signed Related: International Criminal Court: 2019-08-23 Sudan’s new prime minister vows to rebuild battered economy International Criminal Court: 2019-08-21 Sudan’s Bashir ‘got $90m from Saudi royals’, official tells court International Criminal Court: 2019-08-18 Government prisoners tortured, genitals chopped off and then executed by warlord Haftar’s Al-Kaniyat militia Related: Darfur: 2019-08-23 Sudan’s new prime minister vows to rebuild battered economy Darfur: 2019-08-22 Members of Sudanese ‘Sovereign Council’ revealed Darfur: 2019-08-21 Sudan’s Bashir ‘got $90m from Saudi royals’, official tells court Posted by: Fred 2019-08-25 |
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