NETHERLANDS: Hague judges uphold war crimes conviction of Liberia's Charles Taylor
Record ID:
861171
NETHERLANDS: Hague judges uphold war crimes conviction of Liberia's Charles Taylor
- Title: NETHERLANDS: Hague judges uphold war crimes conviction of Liberia's Charles Taylor
- Date: 26th September 2013
- Summary: LEIDSCHENDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 26, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT SIGN OUTSIDE COURT SECURITY OFFICIAL OUTSIDE COURT
- Embargoed: 11th October 2013 13:00
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- Location: Netherlands
- City:
- Country: Netherlands
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- Reuters ID: LVA6BE9FT40PNHP48CSSTLUFFKTO
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- Story Text: Appeals judges upheld the conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Thursday (September 26) reaffirming the 50-year prison sentence he was given last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone's civil war.
Presiding judge George Gelaga King said Taylor had provided advice and encouragement to Revolutionary United Front and Armed Forces Revolutionary Council rebels, knowing full well the kinds of crimes they were committing.
"For the foregoing reasons the appeals chamber dismisses the minimum grounds of appeal," King read.
The appeals chamber also rejected the prosecution's argument that the original sentence did not reflect the gravity of the crimes and that Taylor should have received a heavier sentence.
"...allows ground four in part, holds that the trial chamber heard in law in finding that aiding and abetting liability generally warrants a lesser sentence than other forms of criminal participation and dismisses the amend of the ground, dismisses the grounds of appeal, affirms the sentence of 50 years imprisonment imposed by the trial chamber," Judge King read.
Taylor, 65, sat impassively throughout the reading of the judgement, rising at the end to hear his sentence.
He was to be transferred from the seaside detention centre that has been his home since 2006 to a British maximum security prison.
Judges last year convicted him on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for aiding and abetting the rebels who murdered, raped and pillaged their way through neighbouring Sierra Leone during an 11-year civil war which cost some 50,000 lives until 2002. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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