The Trial of Charles Taylor


by Alpha Sesay

Defense lawyers for Charles Taylor today concluded the direct examination of the former Liberian president’s 20th defense witness. The witness’s direct examination was concluded mostly in private session as defense lawyers focused on discussing certain issues and submission of exhibits that, if discussed in public, would disclose the identity of the witness and the identities of [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor’s 20th defense witness, a former radio operator first in the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group and then in the Special Security Service (SSS) unit of Mr. Taylor’s government, today disputed the evidence of several Revolutionary United Front (RUF) radio operators, who in 2008 testified before the Special Court for Sierra Leone about [...]

by Alpha Sesay

The prosecution witness and former member of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group, Joseph Zig Zag Marzah, did not have physical proximity to the former Liberian president, a former radio operator attached to Mr. Taylor’s Special Security Service (SSS) unit told the Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague today. In 2008, Mr. [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor’s former Vice President Moses Blah ordered the execution of a Sierra Leonean rebel commander in Liberia who was already a subject of an indictment issued by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2003, a former radio operator in Charles Taylor’s Special Security Services (SSS) unit today told the Special Court for Sierra Leone [...]

by U.C. Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center

Dear readers – please find below a monthy summary of the Taylor trial for June 2010 written by Elena Marrs at the UC Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center.  The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Open Society Justice Initiative.   1.      Overview Trial Chamber II at the [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Convicted former interim leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, Issa Hassan Sesay this week concluded his testimony as Charles Taylor 19th defense witness, during which he not only apologised to the people of Sierra Leone for his role in the Sierra Leonean conflict, but also told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges [...]

by Alpha Sesay

In concluding his evidence today as the 19th defense witness for Charles Taylor, Issa Hassan Sesay, the convicted former interim leader of the Sierra Leonean rebel group which Mr. Taylor is accused of supporting, used the opportunity to apologise to the people of Sierra Leone for his role in the conflict and the actions of [...]

by Alpha Sesay

As prosecutors concluded his cross-examination today, Issa Hassan Sesay, the convicted former interim leader of Sierra Leone’s main rebel group told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague that he did not know and does not believe that Charles Taylor sent men to kill him while he was trying to disarm rebel forces in [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Returning to the stand after a brief illness, a former Sierra Leonean rebel leader said his group did not fight battles for former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, in neighboring Guinea and Liberia. In the trial of Mr. Taylor for his alleged role in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone during the [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor had no knowledge that his Director of Special Security Services had a close friendship with a Sierra Leonean rebel commander in 1998, a Liberian national testifying on behalf of Mr. Taylor told the Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague today. The witness, who worked as a radio operator in the National Patriotic [...]


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