International Court Proceedings, Indictment and Charges on Charles Taylor of Liberia | Desklib

RUNNING HEAD: THE INTERNATIONAL COURT'S PROCEEDINGS, INDICTMENT AND CHARGES ON
CHARLES TAYLOR OF LIBERIA
11/14/2018

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT'S PROCEEDINGS, INDICTMENT AND CHARGES ON CHARLES TAYLOR OF
LIBERIA 1
INTRODUCTION
In this paper, the discussion on Charles Taylor has been carried out who was the former
president of Liberia. He was convicted for 11 serious war crime offenses including the killing of
many innocent human beings and several other offenses committed that are against the humanity.
Further, he was involved in many violations related to international laws. These crimes were
committed for years and then after many trials and hearings of various cases, Charles Taylor
imprisoned for 50 years (Anderson, 2012). All these crimes happened during Sierra Leone’s civil
war. There were various suggestions suggested regarding the term of imprisonment, along with
this- how international law applied its application.
SCSL that is the Special Court for Sierra Leone put various charges on Charles Taylor
including rape, murder, and extermination, enslavement along with crimes, which are against the
state and not acceptable to any nation worldwide. All the charges and allegations, the
proceedings and the verdict of the case are in this report, altogether with the appeals made in
defense by Charles Taylor. All these important points written in this paper are more explanatory
with all the facts and reasons behind the verdict (BBC News, 2013). Along with the judgment
and self-analysis related to the verdict.

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT'S PROCEEDINGS, INDICTMENT AND CHARGES ON CHARLES TAYLOR OF
LIBERIA 2
(A) FACTS OF THE CASE AND THE CHARGES MADE:
In this report, the case hereby mentioned and discussed is about Charles Taylor who was
the former president of Liberia. He was originally from Arthington, Liberia. He completed his
studies in New York, and arrested there for the first time because of the allegations made against
him of occupying the diplomatic Liberian duty. He was the president between 1997 and 2003
and was a person who became a reason for many conflicts in the entire region (Bowcott, 2013).
As per the indictment by SCSL (Special Court for Sierra Leone), he and Foday Sankoh in
Libya late in 80’s, instantaneously joint cause with him (Bowcott, 2014). Charles helped with
finances and supported the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Foday Sankoh’s with
ammunition, weapons and military training and other requirements and workers. With the goal in
mind of weakening the country and attaining the right to use of the natural resources and
minerals like diamonds of Sierra Leone, he apparently reinforced the RUF for the training of
military actions there and during the later civil war.
Charles allegedly cheered and sustained all activities of the Armed Forces Revolutionary
Council i.e., AFRC and the RUF alliance, who have initiated arms and ammunition attacks inside
the boundaries of Leone, in the districts of Bombali, Kailahun, including the capital, Freetown
(Cheng, 2012). The main aim of all these attacks includes- the civilians, United Nations
peacekeeping forces and humanitarian aid staffs. These attacks supposedly executed with the
target to spread terrorism in the population and in punishment for the lack of support offered to
the RUF and the AFRC. During the time of these attacks, they allegedly committed physical
violence, murders, rape, and mutilations, robbing and kidnapping of nationals to work as forced

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT'S PROCEEDINGS, INDICTMENT AND CHARGES ON CHARLES TAYLOR OF
LIBERIA 3
laborers or sexual bondages including every adult along with children forcefully to work as if
they enrolled themselves for that (Simons, 2012). All these actions were apparently
executed/implemented and encouraged with the help and collaboration of, or on direction from,
Charles Taylor committed from 30 November 1996 to 18 January 2002 during the period of civil
war in Sierra Leone’s (Cheng, Christine, 2012).
Charles Taylor on 7 March 2003, charged by the Special court for 11 charges in total
(Waterfield, 2012) -
 Total Five of War crimes including- terrorism, violence, and chaos in civilians,
abductions etc.).
 Five Crimes against mortality including- murders, rape, extermination, slavery.
 In addition to that, one related with the attacks on humanitarian or the acts
related to it affected the peacekeeping missions and forcing the children below
15years of age to join armed forces.
 The RUF i.e., Revolutionary United Front and the AFRC join and construct a
mutual strategy and resolution, thus a joint criminal liability formed in
association with Charles Taylor.
 The Charge of joining hands with RUF and AFRC in order to attain and execute
political control over Sierra Leone or in context to this alliance intention was to
take control over the diamond mining regions.
As an outcome, the pressure built by the international community over Charles Taylor to
give resignation from the designated post of president of Liberia with all the relinquish powers
allotted to him on 11th of August 2003 (CNN. 2017).