| Special Court finds Charles Taylor "guilty" Apr 27th 2012, 04:44 After a 4-year trial at the Hague. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17864387 Quote:
The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague said he aided and abetted war crimes during the Sierra Leone civil war...
...Taylor is the first former head of state convicted by an international court since the Nuremburg military tribunal of Nazis after World War II.
Amnesty International, said the verdict sent an important message to all high-ranking state officials...
...Reading out the verdict in The Hague, Judge Richard Lussick said Taylor had been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt in connection with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Those included terror, murder, rape, and conscripting child soldiers, he added.
Judge Lussick said that as Liberian leader, Taylor had extended "sustained and significant" support to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The judge said the accused had sold diamonds and bought weapons on behalf of the RUF - and knew the rebels were committing atrocities.
But Judge Lussick added that this support fell short of effective command and control over the rebels.
"The trial chamber finds the accused cannot be held responsible for ordering the crimes," he said...
...A sentence hearing will be held on 16 May, with the sentence to be handed down on 30 May, he added.
Taylor has a right to appeal against the conviction.
If he loses the appeal he is expected to serve his sentence in a British prison, as the Dutch government only agreed to host the trial if any ensuing jail term was served in another country.
| I think this is an important result. | |
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