Convicted of 11 counts of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, former Liberian President Charles Taylor, was sentenced today by the Special Court of Sierra Leone to a prison term totaling 50 years. Following appeals (expected to take 6-9 months), Taylor will serve the balance of his sentence (his term will include the time since he was incarcerated on March 29, 2006) in the British prison system.
[Note: the author served 3 years as a member of the Prosecution at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and offers no pretension of objectivity with regard to Taylor's guilt]
The Special Court for Sierra Leone, an international tribunal set up jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone to try "those bearing the greatest responsibility" for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Sierra Leone civil war, sentenced Charles Ghankay Taylor, former President of neighboring Liberia, to a 50 years in prison today. Taylor was pronounced guilty of all counts of an 11 count indictment on April 26.
The Prosecution had asked for an 80 year sentence for Taylor. Judge Richard Lussick (Samoa) indicated in his oral pronouncement of sentence that that would have been too long given the indirect control over the forces exercised by Taylor as found in the judgement of the trial chamber. [Note: 2500 page PDF] Other persons convicted by the Special Court have received prison terms lasting from 10 to 52 years.
Appeals are expected to take 6-9 months. After a final judgement on appeal is issued by the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court, Taylor will be transferred from his current cell in The Hague to serve the balance of his sentence in the British prisons system.