Rights Groups Welcome Trial of African Dictator
Haider Rizvi, OneWorld US Tue Jun 5, 10:46 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 5 (OneWorld) - Both the
United Nations and some of the world's leading human rights organizations are welcoming the start of the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
"This is an important day for the international community," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Marie Okabe. "This is a significant move towards peace."
Taylor is accused of committing war crimes during Sierra Leone's 11-year armed conflict. His trial started Monday in front of a UN-backed special court sitting in
The Hague, Netherlands.
Human rights groups said they hoped Taylor's trial would send a strong signal to those who considered themselves above the law.
"The trial of a former president associated with human rights abuses across West Africa represents a break from the past," said Elise Keppler, counsel with Human Rights Watch's international justice program.
Commenting on Taylor's trial, Keppler added in a statement: "All too often, there has been no justice for victims of serious human rights violations. This trial puts would-be perpetrators on notice."
Taylor is the first African head of state to be indicted on serious crimes under international law.
Taylor, who ruled Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is being tried on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone's conflict. The alleged crimes include murder of civilians, using women as sex slaves, and using children as soldiers.
The former Liberian leader is charged on the basis of his alleged role as a major supporter of the Sierra Leone rebel group, known as the Revolutionary United Front. Taylor is accused of using Liberian forces to assist the Sierra Leone rebels.
Taking note of the complexities that marked the trial of the deceased Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosovic, Human Rights Watch said trying former leaders is not easy.
"We have seen that trials of former presidents are difficult business," Keppler said. "The Special Court's judges must guarantee Charles Taylor a fair trial, and also conduct proceedings efficiently."
Though based in Sierra Leone's capital city of Freetown, the UN-backed special court relocated Taylor's trial to The Hague last June due to concerns over political stability in West Africa. The trial is now taking place within the premises of the International Criminal Court.
On Monday, for his part, Taylor refused to attend his trial, saying it would not be fair because he only had one defense lawyer. Judge Julia Sebutinde ordered the trial to continue without Taylor, amid intense protests from his lawyer, Karim Khan. Some reports say Taylor's counsel walked out, defying the judge's order to stay seated.
Those watching the case closely say the court proceedings are likely to last between a year and 18 months, and Britain has offered to oversee Taylor's imprisonment if he is convicted.
The Special Court trying Taylor is composed of Sierra Leonean and international judges. It does not have its own mechanism to imprison those it condemns.
The Special Court was established in 2002 by agreement between the UN and the government of Sierra Leone. The court has a mandate to prosecute those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law that took place in the country since 1996.
As many as eight men associated with the warring factions during the conflict are currently being tried in Freetown by the Special Court. Most of the cases are near completion and the judges are expected to issue verdicts in the next couple of months.
Taylor fled to Nigeria, where he was granted freedom in exile, soon after the court unsealed the indictment against him in June 2003. He was surrendered for trial in March 2006, however.
Following the Special Court's request to relocate the trial, the Netherlands agreed to the trial being held in the Hague, but on the condition that Taylor leave the country after a judgment is delivered.