Trial of Sudan's Bashir for 1989 coup adjourned to September

Dictator who took over Khartoum in an Islamist-backed coup three decades ago was ousted last April; could face death penalty

The trial of Sudan’s ousted president Omar al-Bashir, on charges related to the coup that brought him to power in 1989, was adjourned Tuesday until September 1, the judge said.

Bashir and others could face the death penalty if convicted over the Islamist-backed coup that toppled the elected government of prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

It is the first time in modern Arab history that the leader of a coup has been put on trial.

“The trial has been adjourned to (next) Tuesday to discuss the requests made by defense counsel,” the judge said.

Sudan’s ex-president Omar al-Bashir appears in court in the capital Khartoum to face charges of illegal acquisition and use of foreign funds, on August 31, 2019. (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP)

Defense lawyers had called for the trial to be postponed on the grounds that the courtroom precautions taken against the novel coronavirus were “inadequate.”

Bashir was overthrown in a palace coup in April last year following months of mass protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

He was detained by the army and now faces separate trials on multiple charges.

The trial delay came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Sudan, in the highest-level American visit since 2004. As part of his talks, he will be seeking a normalization of ties between Sudan and Israel.