CHARLES TAYLOR AND THE COURTS

 

Former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor made his first appearance before the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on April 3, 2006.

In August 2003, Taylor was granted asylum in Nigeria as part of agreement brokered with the African Union, European Union, United States and the United Nations to bring peace to Liberia and create a climate that was conducive to holding democratic elections. On March 5, 2006, the Liberian government of newly elected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf requested that Taylor be transferred to Sierra Leone to face trial on seventeen counts of war crimes against humanity, including his role in Liberia’s civil war.

Taylor’s involvement in and support of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels during Sierra Leone’s decade-long war was marked by unprecedented human tights atrocities against civilians including amputations, forcible conscription of child soldiers, and sexual violence against women and girls. He provided arms, and financial and military assistance to the RUF, and was rewarded with access to the nation’s mining areas to finance the war in both countries.

While some Sierra Leonean citizens believe that it is necessary to try Taylor in Sierra Leone, others and the SCSL, are concerned that prosecuting Taylor in their country would present security risks and his continued presence in West Africa could destabilize peace in the sub-region. Negotiations are currently underway to transfer Taylor’s case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague under the auspices of SCSL.

The Voice of Youth media project has been following the proceedings and interviewing fellow Sierra Leoneans on Charles Taylor’s case. To hear our radio programs and read transcripts on this issue, click here…

SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) was established on November 30, 1996 by agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations to prosecute individuals who seriously violated international humanitarian law as well as Sierra Leonean law during the nation’s ten-year war. Click here for more on the SCSL (http://www.sc-sl.org)

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first pfo wermanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to promote the rule of law and ensure that the gravest international crimes do not go unpunished. The ICC’s mandate requires complementarity to national criminal jurisdictions, and it is governed by the provisions of the Rome Statute. Click here for more on the ICC (http://www.icc-cpi.int/about.html)