Charles Taylor’s defense lawyer Courtenay Griffiths stormed out of court this morning after telling the Special Court for Sierra Leone judges that the defense was not prepared to take part in the closing arguments of the trial scheduled to commence today. The Court had been scheduled to hear closing arguments this week from both the prosecution and [...]
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January
21
2011
At Status Conference, Defense Lawyers Say They Will Not File Final Trial Brief Until Outstanding Matters Are Dealt With
Charles Taylor’s defense team will not file any final trial briefs until several outstanding motions before the Trial and Appeals Chamber are disposed of, the former Liberian president’s lead defense counsel, Courtenay Griffiths, told the Special Court for Sierra Leone judges at a status conference Thursday in The Hague. The status conference had been convened [...]
The Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague have ordered that a Status Conference be convened on Thursday, January 20, 2011 after a request was made by defense lawyers for former Liberian president Charles Taylor. On Tuesday, January 18, 2011, Mr. Taylor’s defense lawyers filed a “Defense Request for a Status Conference” in order ”to review [...]
January
13
2011
Defense Lawyers Seek Investigations into United States Government Cables Released By WikiLeaks
Defense lawyers for former Liberian president Charles Taylor have filed a motion before Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague seeking an investigation into leaked United States Government (USG) cables by the whistle blowing website WikiLeaks about Mr. Taylor’s trial. According to defense lawyers in their motion filed on Monday, January 10 2011, [...]
Defense lawyers for Charles Taylor today formally closed their case after calling 21 witnesses to testify on behalf of the former Liberian president in response to an 11 count indictment in which Prosecutors allege that Mr. Taylor provided support to and was in control of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, who waged an 11 year civil [...]
November
9
2010
Last Witness Concludes His Testimony, Defense To Officially Close Their Case On Friday
Sam Flomo Kolleh, a Liberian national and former member of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, concluded his evidence today in The Hague as the last live witness in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. The conclusion of Mr. Kolleh’s evidence paves the way for defense lawyers to officially close Mr. [...]
November
8
2010
As They Continue His Cross-Examination, Defense Witness Says He Did Not Know Who Benjamin Yeaten Was
Prosecutors today continued the cross-examination of a Liberian member of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, Sam Flomo Kolleh who commenced his evidence last week as Charles Taylor’s final defense witness. As he was questioned today by prosecution counsel Nicholas Koumjian, Mr. Kolleh told the court that he never knew who the Director [...]
November
5
2010
Senior RUF Officer Cross-Examined for Third Day
Dear Readers – Ms. Judith Armatta is a lawyer, journalist, and human rights advocate who has previously monitored the trial of Slobodan Milosevic on behalf of the Coalition for International Justice. She will be reporting on the trial of Charles Taylor this week in place of our regular monitor, Mr. Alpha Sesay. We hope you find her [...]
November
4
2010
Cross-Examination of Last Defense Witness Continues
Dear Readers – Ms. Judith Armatta is a lawyer, journalist, and human rights advocate who has previously monitored the trial of Slobodan Milosevic on behalf of the Coalition for International Justice. She will be reporting on the trial of Charles Taylor this week in place of our regular monitor, Mr. Alpha Sesay. We hope you find her [...]
Dear Readers – Ms. Judith Armatta is a lawyer, journalist, and human rights advocate who has previously monitored the trial of Slobodan Milosevic on behalf of the Coalition for International Justice. She will be reporting on the trial of Charles Taylor this week in place of our regular monitor, Mr. Alpha Sesay. We hope you find her [...]
