The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL [2]) on April 26 convicted Liberia [3]'s former president Charles Taylor [4] on all 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone [5]'s decade-long civil war. Trial Chamber II found unanimously that Taylor aided and abetted Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) forces. Taylor is the first head of state to be tried and convicted by an international tribunal. The verdict was welcomed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [6]. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 16, and sentencing will take place May 30. The court may not impose the death penalty or a life sentence. Both the prosecution and the defense will have the opportunity to appeal within 14 days of the sentence.
From Jurist [7], April 26. Used with permission.
See our last post on the struggle in West Africa [8].
