The Trial of Charles Taylor


by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor this week told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges that he did not order Sierra Leonean rebel forces to attack the country’s capital Freetown and to free the country’s rebel leader from jail  in 1999. Mr. Taylor also called prosecution allegations that he was involved in ritual sacrifice and cannibalism “racist.”
Mr. Taylor spent [...]

by Tracey Gurd

Dear Readers,
We just found out today that the Charles Taylor trial is now in recess until October 26 — but just because the courtroom action has stopped, it does not mean that we have to end our conversations here on this site for three weeks.
Alpha and I thought this would be a great opportunity to [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Today was the last day of trial for three weeks while the Special Court for Sierra Leone goes on recess. 
The presiding judge, Justice Richard Lussick, today said that the trial will take a recess as of end of working day tomorrow and will resume on Monday October 26 2009 at 9:30AM. The recess, Justice Lussick [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor today refuted testimony of a prosecution witness who said that the Sierra Leonean rebels had three radio stations and operators in Liberia, including one at the country’s main international airport.
Mr. Taylor was responding to the testimony of protected prosecution witness TFI-338 who in her September 2008 testimony spoke of the alleged relationship between Mr. [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor today called prosecution allegations that he was involved in ritual sacrifice and cannibalism ”racist”. The accused former Liberian president also dismissed his trial as an extension of regime change policies of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Taylor spent a second day responding to the evidence of prosecution witness and former member of Mr. [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor did nor order Sierra Leonean rebel forces to attack the nation’s capital Freetown and to free the group’s leader from jail in 1999, he said during his trial in The Hague today.  Mr. Taylor also dismissed as “lies” the testimony of one of his former commanders that he was the “boss” of both Sierra Leonean and Liberian [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor did not have any prior knowledge of rebel plans to invade Sierra Leone in 1991, and contrary to prosecution allegations against him, he did not order Sierra Leonean rebel forces to attack Guinea in 2000, he told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges last week.
“I did not know of any prior plans for the invasion of [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor did not give jailed Sierra Leonean rebel leader Foday Sankoh $20,000 in 1999, either as a “good gesture” or as a payment in exchange for safekeeping diamonds for his rebel group, Mr. Taylor told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today.
“No I did not send Sankoh any money. If I had, it would have been a good [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor did not have any knowledge of plans by rebel forces to invade Sierra Leone in 1991, he told told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague today. In rebuffing prosecution charges that he was a key planner in the major rebel attack on his neighboring country during its 11-year conflict, Mr. [...]

by Alpha Sesay

Charles Taylor today denied prosecution allegations that he ordered Sierra Leonean rebels to attack Guinea in 2000 to oust its then president, Lansana Conte, whom Mr. Taylor accused of supporting fighters to attack his own government in Liberia.
“No I did not, no I did not,” the accused former Liberian president kept repeating as he answered [...]


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