Sierra Leone’s top rebel leader waged a war on the West African country in 1991 to free the people from the misery of the country’s politicians, a Sierra Leonean witness testifying for Charles Taylor told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today in The Hague.
The witness, testifying in open session but with partial protective measures, [...]
March
11
2010
Foday Sankoh Wanted To Free Sierra Leoneans From The Misery Of Politicians, A Sierra Leonean Defense Witness Says
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Foreign countries interfered in Charles Taylor’s revolution in Liberia and prevented the former president from liberating his people, a witness in Mr. Taylor’s defense told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today.
“The Liberian revolution failed because foreign hands interfered in the Liberian revolution to disturb the revolution and prevent His Excellency President Taylor from liberating the [...]
A witness defending Charles Taylor today said he never heard of the former Liberian president giving orders to his own rebel forces to kill, rape, loot or burn people’s houses, as alleged by prosecutors.
A protected witness, testifying under the pseudonym DCT 125 and with face and voice distortion, said if any crimes were committed under [...]
March
8
2010
Charles Taylor Trial Resumes Tomorrow
Dear Readers,
The Charles Taylor trial will resume again tomorrow (Tuesday) and continue through the rest of the week. No proceedings were held today as the Special Court for Sierra Leone has to share the courtrooms at the International Criminal Court with its own ongoing trials.
Neither Charles Taylor nor his security forces supported or participated in the Sierra Leonean rebel attack on the country’s capital Freetown in 1999, the Special Court for Sierra Leone heard today as Mr. Taylor’s first defense witness ended his testimony.
Mr. Yanks’ testimony – consistent on this point with Mr. Taylor’s own testimony — stands in contrast [...]
March
1
2010
“Nobody Is Lying,” Witness says, As Prosecutors Suggest That His Account Is Different From Charles Taylor’s
A defense witness for Charles Taylor has dismissed prosecution assertions that his testimony is contradicting that of the former Liberian president, telling the court that neither him, nor Mr. Taylor, is lying to the judges.
Between July 2009 and February 2010, Mr. Taylor, who stands accused of supporting Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, testified as [...]
February
26
2010
Defense Witness Says Prosecution Witnesses Lied, Says Charles Taylor Did Not Have Child Soldiers
Charles Taylor’s first defense witness said that prosecution witnesses lied when they testified that the former Liberian president recruited and used children for combat purposes in Liberia.
Yanks Smythe, whose cross-examination by prosecutors started today, has spent the week rebutting prosecution evidence against Mr. Taylor who is charged on 11-counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity [...]
February
25
2010
Charles Taylor Was Not Part Of A Plan To Commit Crimes In Sierra Leone; He Did Not Receive Diamonds From Sierra Leonean Rebels, Witness Says
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor did not form or contribute to any plan to commit crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone, nor did he receive any diamonds from Sierra Leonean rebel forces as alleged by prosecutors, according to Mr. Taylor’s first witness.
Yanks Smythe has spent the last four days refuting prosecution allegations that Mr. Taylor aided [...]
