Former Liberian President Charles Taylor still waits at the International Criminal Court in The Hague after judges rejected his request to be acquitted of all war crimes charges.  The 61 year-old is accused of instigating the notorious conflict in Sierra Leone by giving support to Revolutionary United Front guerrillas during the Liberian Civil War from 1989-2003.

During the war in Sierra Leone more than 120,000 people were murdered, and thousands more were mutilated by rebels who ruthlessly cut off arms, legs, noses, or ears.  Charles Taylor, as the President of Liberia at that time, is said to have trained, armed, and controlled the RUF rebels to gain control of a destabilized Sierra Leone and the diamond riches it holds. 

During the special tribunal meeting to address the request for acquittal, members announced that Taylor would have to stand trial for the allegations of waging a war to terrorize Sierra Leone.  The court is trying him on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including training children as soldiers, allowing mutilation and murder of dissidents, condoning sexual slavery, and trading in blood diamonds. 

In the statement released by the tribunal, Judge Richard Lussick said, “[T]he trial chamber finds that there is evidence on which it could find that the accused and others shared a common purpose to take part in a campaign to terrorize the civilian population of the Republic of Sierra Leone.  The chamber…dismisses the defense’s submission in its entirety.” 

Lawyers for Taylor then tried to get a continuance, but were denied that as well. 

Prosecutors maintain that Taylor was not only aware of, but actually set in motion, the acts of terror designed to gain control of Sierra Leone’s prolific diamond mines. 

Taylor went into exile in 2003, but has been held in The Hague since June 2007, following his arrest.  The trial is being held at the International Criminal Court for fear that, were he to stand trial in the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown, riots would occur.

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