Trial of Sudan's Bashir for 1989 coup adjourned to September

The trial of Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir, on charges related to the coup that brought him to power in 1989, was adjourned Tuesday to September 1, the judge said. 

Bashir and others could face the death penalty if convicted over the Islamist-backed coup that toppled the elected government of prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

It is the first time in modern Arab history that the leader of a coup has been put on trial.

"The trial has been adjourned to (next) Tuesday to discuss the requests made by defence counsel," the judge said.

Defence lawyers had called for the trial to be postponed on the grounds that the courtroom precautions taken against the novel coronavirus were "inadequate". 

Bashir was overthrown in a palace coup in April last year following months of mass protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

He was detained by the army and now faces separate trials on multiple charges.