Guilty after five years of trial proceedings at the Hague

The trial of ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor at the Hague has come to an end with a guilty verdict in all of the eleven counts against him after nearly five years of proceedings. Taylor is the first African leader to stand trial for war crimes at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone.

Taylor was accused on eleven counts connected to murder, rape, conscription of child soldiers and sexual slavery undertaken by the rebel Revolutionary United Force during neighbouring Sierra Leone’s long, bloody civil war between 1991 and 2002, during which more than 50 000 people were killed.

During the two hour reading of the charges and verdict, the justices concluded that while implicit in the crimes, Taylor was not directly in control of the RUF, but rather the military support he gave them significantly influenced their activities.

“The chamber finds beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is criminally responsible… for aiding and abetting the commission of the crimes 1 to 11 in the indictment,” said Judge Richard Lussick as he read the verdict, continuing,

“The accused had substantial influence over the RUF, but this fell short of effective command and control”.

“The military support provided by the accused to the RUF had a significant impact on the commission of crimes,” the judge added.

Throughout, Taylor denied the charges, claiming he was using his influence to try bring peace to the conflict at the time, and that his trial was politically motivated by his detractors in Western governments.

Human Rights groups around the world welcomed the verdict, responding that it sends a strong message to state officials who abused their power, especially in conflict situations.

“While today’s conviction brings some measure of justice to the people of Sierra Leone, Taylor and the others sentenced by the Special Court are just the tip of the iceberg,”  said Amnesty International’s Brima Abdulai Sheriff in a statement.

[Source: BBC News, News 24]