Ousted Sudanese President Bashir sentenced to 2 years

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A judge sentenced former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to two years in prison Saturday on charges of corruption, possessing foreign currency and accepting illegal gifts.

The judge said Bashir, 75, will serve his sentence at a reform facility instead of a prison due to his age. He has been imprisoned at Kobar Prison since his ouster in April. The judge also ordered the confiscation of millions of dollars in euros and Sudanese pounds found in his home at the time of his arrest.

Bashir will remain at the maximum-security prison in the short-term, though, as he awaits trial on allegations he orchestrated a 1989 coup that gave him power.

The former president could also face charges for a police crackdown that killed dozens of protesters earlier this year. He could face the death penalty if brought to trial on such charges.

The military took power from Bashir in April after four months of demonstrations. During his three-decade tenure, he was the subject of regular criticism from the West, which accused him of genocide in Darfur.

Pro-democracy campaigners said Bashir's sentence was too light, while the former president's lawyers decried the punishment as political.