Ex-Sudan leader Omar al-Bashir jailed for two years for corruption

A court in Sudan has convicted the country’s former president Omar al-Bashir of money laundering and corruption, sentencing him to two years in prison.

It is the first verdict in a series of legal proceedings against al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.

The verdict was delivered a year after Sudanese protesters began their revolt against al-Bashir’s 30-year authoritarian rule, during which Sudan landed on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. The economy has been battered by years of mismanagement and American sanctions.

Before the verdict was read, supporters of al-Bashir briefly disrupted the proceedings and were pushed out of the courtroom by security forces.

Al-Bashir, 75, has been in custody since April, when Sudan’s military stepped in and removed him from power after months of nationwide protests. The uprising eventually forced the military into a power-sharing agreement with civilians.

He was charged earlier this year with money laundering after millions of US dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds were seized from his home shortly after his ousting.

Nevertheless, the Sudanese military has said it will not extradite him to the ICC. The country’s military-civilian transitional government has not indicated whether it will hand him over to the court.

The corruption trial is separate from charges against al-Bashir regarding the killing of protesters during the uprising.

Anti-government demonstrations initially erupted last December over steep price rises and shortages, and soon shifted to calls for al-Bashir to step down. Security forces responded with a fierce crackdown that killed dozens of protesters.