Former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who is on trial for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone’s civil war, would, if convicted, serve his sentence in Britain under an agreement made by British authorities.
Britain’s government signed the sentence-enforcement agreement this week with the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, which is trying Taylor in the Dutch city of The Hague, the court said in a statement released in Freetown.
”Signing this agreement enables the UK to give effect to our commitment to imprison former Liberian president Charles Taylor if he is convicted by the Special Court, and demonstrates again our strong support for the court,” British Minister for Africa Lord Mark Malloch-Brown said in the statement.
Taylor, whose trial opened last month, has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to the 1991 to 2002 civil war in Sierra Leone, which killed an estimated 50 000 people.
He is accused of instigating murder, mutilation and the recruitment of child soldiers while backing Sierra Leonean rebels in exchange for diamonds.
Malloch-Brown gave no details about which prison in Britain would hold Taylor if he were convicted.
Sweden and Austria have also agreed to allow their prisons to hold other indictees convicted by the Sierra Leone Special Court.
After initially boycotting his trial, Taylor made a surprise appearance at the courtroom in The Hague earlier this month. He had argued that he had inadequate funds to mount a proper defence, despite suspicions he is hiding huge personal wealth.
Judges ordered that Taylor be assigned a new defence team and have postponed the trial until August 20.
Prosecutors hope the trial will send a signal that international justice can operate efficiently and fairly as well as target the world’s most powerful individuals. But some observers fear Taylor is intent on upstaging proceedings.
”We must all continue to make clear that there can be no impunity for those who would commit these serious crimes,” Britain’s Malloch-Brown said. He urged the international community to maintain support for the Special Court.
The court was set up jointly by Sierra Leone’s government and the UN in 2002 to try those deemed most responsible for human rights violations.
Taylor’s trial is being held in The Hague because of fears it could spur instability if held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. — Reuters