WEB DESK
A court in Khartoum today convicted former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of money laundering and corruption charges sentencing him to two years in a minimum-security lock-up. This is the first verdict in a series of legal proceedings against al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict.
The verdict comes a year after Sudanese protesters erupted in revolt against al-Bashir’s authoritarian rule. During his three decades in power, Sudan landed on the US list for sponsoring terrorism and the country’s economy was battered by years of mismanagement and American sanctions.
Al-Bashir has been in custody since last April when Sudan’s military ousted him after months of nationwide protests.