Taylor Convicted on all Counts, Sentencing Scheduled for May30

Taylor, seen here listening to his conviction, was found guilty of directing rebels to capture diamond mining areas so they could trade diamonds with him in return for arms

(IDEX Online News) – The Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, on all 11 counts charging he was responsible for crimes committed by rebel forces during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war. Taylor is the first head of state to be convicted by an international tribunal.

The three-judge panel of the Special Court said Thursday that it unanimously found that Taylor aided and abetted RUF and AFRC rebels in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone.

“Today’s historic judgment reinforces the new reality, that heads of state will be held to account for war crimes and other international crimes,” said prosecutor Brenda Hollis, adding that the conviction "brings some measure of justice to the many thousands of victims who paid a terrible price for Mr. Taylor’s crimes."

Taylor "was instrumental in procuring and transporting [a] large quantity of arms and ammunition for the RUF, that he was paid for it with diamonds, and that he kept some of the shipment for his own purposes," including a number of +20 carat diamonds, according to the judgment.

The court cited the United Nations report by a panel of experts that diamond smuggling from Sierra Leone to Liberia was “the bulk of the RUF trade in diamonds” and the “primary source of income to the RUF."

The court also stated that Taylor introduced a Belgian diamond trader, identified as Alpha Bravo, to the RUF "for the purpose of diamond transactions."

Taylor ordered the capturing of Kono district so diamonds mined in the area could be traded for arms. Taylor was convicted of ordering the looting of money, civilian goods and diamonds in Kono between 1997 and 1998.

In the same period, in Kenema District, civilians were abducted and forced to mine for diamonds.

In addition, between 1998 and 2001 when the civil war in Sierra Leone ended, Taylor provided the RUF with a guesthouse in Monrovia that was used to transfer arms, ammunition and funds to the RUF, in exchange for diamonds delivered from the RUF directly to Taylor.

The court convicted Taylor of multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, counting acts of terrorism, murder, rape, sexual slavery, inhumane acts including mutilations and amputations, enlistment of child soldiers, enslavement and pillage.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 30. The Special Court may not impose a life sentence or the death penalty, however Taylor is facing a lengthy term in a British prison.