Sudan’s former president Omar al-Bashir, ousted amid a popular pro-democracy uprising last year, went on trial Tuesday July 28, 2020 over the military coup that brought him to power more than three decades ago.
Bashir, 76, could face the death penalty if convicted over the 1989 Islamist-backed overthrow of the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sadek al-Mahdi.
Along with Bashir, 27 co-accused were in the dock at the Khartoum court house, which was heavily guarded by police outside with AK-47 assault rifles, batons and tear gas grenades.
“This court will listen to each of them and we will give each of the 28 accused the opportunity to defend themselves,” said the president of the court, Issam al-Din Mohammad Ibrahim.
While the accused were kept in cages inside the courtroom, dozens of their family members were outside, many shouting “Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)”.
