  | You have information to share ?
Or mistakes to correct ?
click here...
|
|
| |  | | Charles Taylor | | | context : | Sierra Leone  | | judgement place : | Sierra Leone Special Court | | status : | On trial | | particulars : | Transferred to the Special Court for Sierra Leone on 29 March 2006; pleaded not guilty on 3 April 2006; trial in The Hague began on 4 June 2007; trial resumed on 7 January 2008 | | position : | President of Liberia |
|
| | | | Charles Taylor was born on 28 February 1948 in Arthington, Liberia. He studied in the United States. In 1979 he was arrested for threatening to occupy the Liberian diplomatic mission in New York. He was president of Liberia between 1997 and 2003. His terms of office were marked by rebellions and conflicts in the region.
The indictment issued by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) entertains that during the relevant period (i.e. from 30 November 1996 on), there was an armed conflict in Sierra Leone, with which the indicted acts and omissions, constituting crimes under the articles 2, 3 and 4 of the SCSL statute, were linked.
According to the indictment, Charles Taylor met Foday Sankoh in the late 1980ies, and forthwith made common cause with him.
Taylor is said to have financed and supported Foday Sankoh's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) with material and personnel, providing weapons, ammunition and training. With the aim of destabilizing the country and accessing the natural resources of Sierra Leone (mainly diamonds), he allegedly supported the RUF in the preparation of military actions and during the ensuing conflict.
Charles Taylor during the relevant period allegedly encouraged and supported all the actions of the RUF/ AFRC (Armed Forces Revolutionary Council) alliance.
The RUF and AFRC, supported and encouraged by Charles Taylor, are said to have launched armed attacks on the territory of Sierra Leone, namely in the districts of Bo, Kono, Kenema, Bombali and Kailahun, and in Freetown. The targets of these attacks included the civilian population, humanitarian assistance projects and UN peacekeepers. The attacks allegedly had the main purpose to terrorize the civilian population and to punish it for the lack of support for the RUF and the AFRC.
According to the indictment, the attacks were accompanied by murders, physical violence (especially mutilations and rape) against civilian men, women and children, pillaging and abductions of civilians (in particular many children) as sexual slaves, forced laborers or forced recruits.
These acts were allegedly encouraged or executed with the consent or on order of Charles Taylor.
As a result of the pressure exerted by the international community, Charles Taylor had to cede his power and resign as president of Liberia on 11 August 2003. He was arrested on March 29, 2006 and transferred the same day to the SCSL. | |     click for more... | | Trial Watch would like to remind its users that any person charged by national or international authorities is presumed innocent until proven guilty. | |  |  | | nationality : | | | Liberia | | | date of birth : | | | 28.01.1948 | | | last time seen : | | | The Hague (Netherlands) | | | period of charges : | | | 30.11.1996 | | | judgement period : | | | 04.06.2007 | | | charges : | | | Crimes against humanity
War crimes | | | profile last modified : | | | 07.01.2008 |
| |
| | |
|
|
