Sudan: Bashir's lawyer decries handover decision to ICC

Sudan’s deposed and jailed leader Omar al-Bashir’s lawyer said Wednesday that the decision to hand over his client to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is politically motivated, Anadolu Agency reports.

Abu Bakr al-Jaali said he has not been informed by official government sources about a possible handover.

Sudan’s transitional government said Tuesday that Bashir and his accomplices will face genocide and war crimes charges in the ICC.

The longtime former ruler is accused of “using bombings, mass killings and rape” to suppress the 2003 conflict in Darfur.

READ: Sudan’s Bashir may face war crimes reckoning

The lawyer warned of backlash from supporters of Bashir if a handover takes place.

“I assure you that Sudan will not be the same as before the handover. If the handover takes place, the political and security conditions will not be as it is,” he said.

The ICC has issued two arrest warrants for Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sudan has been embroiled in a political crisis since last April when Bashir was ousted.

Since 2019, the country is being ruled by a transitional government for three years until fresh elections are held.

The country has faced sporadic clashes as various groups flex their muscles to gain power in the volatile political environment.