Judges sentence Charles Taylor to 50 years for supporting Sierra Leone rebels in civil war

Published On: Wed, May 30th, 2012

 

View Photo Gallery — Charles Taylor, the U.S.-educated guerrilla leader who fought his way to the presidency of Liberia, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in assisting a bloody rebel movement in neighboring Sierra Leone.

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, May 30, 6:46 AM

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Charles Taylor

After 420 days of trial (over nearly four years), 115 witness, over 50,000 pages of testimony, and 1,520 exhibits, Charles Taylor, warlord-turned-president of Liberia, was found guilty on 11 counts by the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone. Taylor was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity (including murder, rape, mutilating civilians, including cutting off their limbs, conscripting child soldiers, sexual slavery and other acts of terrorism) committed in Sierra Leone from November 30, 1996, to January 18, 2002. Over 50,000 people died in that conflict. Taylor “aided and abetted” the notorious warlords Foday Sankoh, Sam “the Mosquito” Bockarie and Issa Sesay of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone. Taylor participated in the planning, instigation and commission of these crimes and provided weapons and military support in exchange for “blood diamonds” mined by slave laborers in Sierra Leone. Taylor will be sentenced next month