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Court upholds 50-year Prison Sentence for former Liberian President, Charles Taylor
Former Liberia President Charles Taylor. PHOTO/AFP
An international war crimes court upheld the conviction and 50-year sentence of former Liberian President Charles Taylor for aiding rebels in Sierra Leone, ruling Thursday that his financial, material and tactical support fueled horrendous crimes against civilians.
The appeals chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone kept the 65-year-old Taylor’s conviction on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including terrorism, murder, rape and using child soldiers.
Taylor’s conviction in April 2012 was hailed as ushering in a new era of accountability for heads of state. He was the first former head of state convicted by an international war crimes court since World War II.
Taylor showed little emotion while Presiding Judge George Gelaga King read the unanimous verdict of the six-judge panel.
Prosecutor Brenda Hollis said the court’s final ruling “affirms Taylor’s criminal responsibility for grave crimes.”
“He’s caused untold suffering for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of victims in Sierra Leone,” she said at a press conference after the ruling. “Today’s judgment brings some measure of justice for those victims who suffered so horribly.”
Others focused on the future impact of Thursday’s decision.
