This archive report was first published on 17 November 2021.
On November 16, 2021, a Sudan court declined to release key suspects involved in the 1989 coup that brought President Omar al-Bashir to power, who was ousted in April 2019.
The court, a special tribunal chaired by Supreme Court judge Hussain al-Jack, heard demands from the defence team to have the group accused of the June 1989 coup freed.
However, the judge set November 30, 2021, as the date when the hearings will continue, citing the need for further investigation and the absence of an indictment panel to bring charges against the suspects.
During the hearing, the defence team protested the continued delays in the case, arguing that it has become a victim of the country's political chaos.
The case hearing began in July 2020, with the suspects accused of undermining the constitution, violating the Armed Forces Act, and fomenting a coup in 1989 against Sadiq al-Mahdi, who had been elected Prime Minister.
The ringleaders include former President Omar al-Bashir, now in jail for corruption-related charges, as well as various other senior military leaders at the time.
