The Trial of Charles Taylor


by Alpha Sesay

Judges of the Special Court for Sierra Leone today granted a defense request for a one week adjournment of the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.  The judges also granted a defense request for restrictions on Mr. Taylor not to discuss his testimony with anyone, including his own lawyers.
When the court adjourned with the conclusion [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Prosecutors this week concluded the cross-examination of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, asserting before Special Court for Sierra Leone judges that the former president persecuted human rights activists and suppressed press freedom in Liberia, that he executed politicians and rebel commanders who he saw as threats to his quest for political power, that he had ulterior [...]

by Alpha Sesay

As the cross-examination of Charles Taylor drew to a close after almost two months, the former Liberian president repeated his claim that a conspiracy by western powers to oust him from Liberia is what landed him in the Special Court for Sierra Leone today.
“Throughout your testimony to these judges, you have talked about a  supposed conspiracy [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor executed Liberian politicians whom he perceived as threats to his political ambitions, killed rebels who failed to carry out his orders, and persecuted human rights activists who opposed his policies, prosecutors alleged today at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.  Mr. Taylor denied the allegations.
Lead prosecution counsel, Brenda Hollis, today questioned Mr. Taylor [...]

by Alpha Sesay

When former Liberian president Charles Taylor helped secure the release of United Nations peacekeepers held hostage by Sierra Leonean rebels ten years ago, he was really trying to help the rebels gain more control over his neighboring country, prosecutors alleged today. Mr. Taylor disagreed:  the safety of the hostages was forefront on his mind, he [...]

by Tracey Gurd

Hi readers,
Some of you have been wondering why you have seen a different trial when you have tuned in to watch Mr. Taylor’s trial.  And I know some of you have been frustrated at getting up at 4am to watch Mr. Taylor, only to find a different court case on your computer screen.  The reason is [...]

by Tracey Gurd

Hi readers,
Thanks for your patience as we worked to clarify our policy on posting readers’ comments. 
Our goal in inviting readers to comment here is to provide a forum for discussion about the rule of law with this trial being a catalyst.  We want to make the operations of the trial less opaque and more accessible as [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor did not tolerate press freedom in Liberia while he served as the West African country’s president from 1997 to 2003, prosecutors said today at his trial in The Hague. Mr. Taylor dismissed the allegations as “not correct.”
Lead prosecution counsel Brenda Hollis told Mr. Taylor that during his tenure as president [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Prosecutors this week grilled Charles Taylor on allegations that his rebel forces committed widespread and systematic crimes in Liberia similar to those committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone, that he trained and used children for combat in Liberia, that he stashed away huge amounts of Liberian government money into foreign bank accounts, and that he [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor told lies in his direct-examination because he was too desperate to discredit prosecution witnesses while testifying in his own defense, prosecutors told the former Liberian president today.  Mr. Taylor dismissed this assertion as “incorrect” – but the former president did admit to a series of inconsistencies in his own previous testimony as the [...]


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