The Sudanese Court of Appeals has upheld the verdict against ousted president Omar al-Bashir, ordering him to serve his sentence at a correctional center for the elderly, and the confiscation of funds seized at his presidential palace.
Last December, Judge Al-Sadeq Abdul Rahman sentenced Bashir to two years in prison, but it was appealed at the Supreme Constitutional Court by Bashir's defense team, which also claimed that charges of possession of illicit funds had no evidence.
After hearing the defense team, the court sentenced the defendant to two years in prison at a correctional institution in line with the law, which prohibits a ten-year prison sentence for those over 70.
The Supreme Court of Appeals stated that it agreed with the trial court to confiscate the seized funds, adding that its ruling was based on confessions from the convict.
Bashir admitted to the court that he sent sums of money as gifts to entities and institutions, including Tayba media group owned by the extremist cleric Abdulhayy Youssef.
He is also accused of exchanging foreign currencies into Sudanese pounds outside the local banking system, in cooperation with his cousin Tarik Sirr al-Khatim, who is wanted for trial.
The ousted president and other former members of the regime also await trial on other cases namely the coup of 1989.
The criminal case against Bashir began after the toppling of his regime following popular protests in April 2019. He serves his time in Khartoum's Kober prison, pending verdicts in other cases which could lead to death sentences.
Authorities have seized €6.9 million, $351,770, and 5.7 million Sudanese pounds at Bashir's home.
Officials are considering handing him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued two arrest warrants for Bashir and several of his associates - former defense minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein, former chair of the National Congress Party Ahmed Haroun, and militia leader Ali Kushayb - on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in the Darfur war.
