Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor’s defence lawyer has walked out of the closing stages of his war crimes trial in the Hague. British lawyer Courtenay Griffiths was angered at the judge’s refusal to accept a last-minute document.
\nMr Taylor is accused of arming rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone who became notorious in the 1990s for cutting off the limbs of thousands of people.
\nHe denies 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial started in June 2007 and the verdict is expected later this year. Prosecutors say Mr Taylor, president of Liberia from 1997-2003, armed and controlled the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during a 10-year campaign of terror conducted largely against civilians.
\n“The crimes suffered by the people of Sierra Leone would not have occurred but for Taylor’s supervision and support for the RUF,” said prosecutors in their final trial brief.
\nMr Taylor said he had wanted to bring peace to Sierra Leone.
\nHe is accused of selling “blood diamonds” for the rebels, in return for supplying them with weapons.
\nLast year supermodel Naomi Campbell and actress Mia Farrow were summoned to give evidence. The prosecution was trying to establish a link between Mr Taylor and a number of uncut diamonds that Miss Campbell said she had been given in South Africa in 1997.
\nThe Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague has heard from more than 100 witnesses in what is the first international trial of an African former head of state.
\nProsecutors will give their closing arguments on Tuesday, and defence lawyers give theirs on Wednesday, with rebuttals scheduled for Friday.
\nThe judges will then retire to consider their judgement, expected by mid-2011. If convicted, Mr Taylor would serve a prison sentence in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor’s defence lawyer has walked out of the closing stages of his war crimes trial in the Hague. British lawyer Courtenay Griffiths was angered at the judge’s refusal to accept a last-minute document. Mr Taylor is accused of arming rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone who became notorious in the 1990s for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n