26 Apr 2012

UN / CHARLES TAYLOR WRAP

Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor was found guilty today on eleven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called this a historic and momentous day for the people of Sierra Leone, for the region and beyond. ICC / UNTV / FILE

Posted at: April 26, 2012 3:21 pm

Duration: 02:04

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STORY: UN / CHARLES TAYLOR VERDICT WRAP
TRT: 2.04
SOURCE: ICC / OHCHR / UNTV / UNMIL 
RESTRICTIONS:
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 APRIL 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / 26 APRIL 2012, THE HAGUE, NEATHERLANDS /26 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / FILE

SHOTLIST:

ICC - 26 APRIL 2012, SPECIAL COURT FOR LEBANON, THE HAGUE, NEATHERLANDS

2. Wide shot, Court
3. Med shot, Justice Richard Lussick announcing his verdict
4. Med shot, Charles Taylor stands up and listens
5. Med shot, prosecutor and defense
6. Med shot, Charles Taylor sits down
7. Wide shot, Court adjourns

OHCHR - 26 APRIL 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

8. Med shot, Pillay at the Palais des nations
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations:
"It shows how far international criminal law has developed to hold even the most powerful accountable where it is clear that they bare responsibility for serious human rights violations."

UNTV –RECENT, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

10. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

UNTV - 26 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY

11. Wide shot, Eduardo del Buey, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General
12. Cutaway, journalists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Eduardo del Buey, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
"The judgment is a significant milestone for international criminal justice, as it concerns the first ever conviction of a former Head of State by an international criminal tribunal for planning, aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity.   It sends a strong signal to all leaders that they are and will be held accountable for their actions."   
14. Cutaway, journalists

UNMIL – 29 MARCH 2006, SIERRA LEONE

15. Wide shot, Charles Taylor descending from aircraft
16. Med shot, Charles Taylor being escorted by police to a helicopter
4. Various shots, Charles Taylor inside helicopter

STORYLINE:

The Special Court for Sierra Leone today (26 Apr) delivered a guilty verdict against former Liberian President Charles Taylor for planning, aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He was tried on eleven counts including pillage, slavery for forced marriage purposes, collective punishment and the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Taylor, who was indicted while he was still president of Liberia, is the first former Head of State to be convicted by an international criminal tribunal since the Nuremberg trials in 1946.

The charges relate to his alleged support for two rebel groups, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the Revolutionary United Front, during Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Noting the significance of the event the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, said that it showed how far international criminal law had developed "to hold even the most powerful accountable where it is clear that they bare responsibility for serious human rights violations".

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement read by deputy spokesperson Eduardo de Buey said that the judgment was "a significant milestone for international criminal justice, as it concerns the first ever conviction of a former Head of State by an international criminal tribunal for planning, aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity", he added that "it sends a strong signal to all leaders that they are and will be held accountable for their actions."

The Taylor trial opened on 4 June 2007 in The Hague. It was adjourned immediately after the prosecution's opening statement when Mr. Taylor dismissed his defence team and requested new representation. Witness testimony commenced on 7 January 2008, and ended on 12 November 2010. Closing arguments took place in February and March 2011.

According to the SCSL, following today's judgment both parties will make submissions on sentencing, which is expected to be pronounced in the near future. The final stage in the case will be the appeals phase. The Prosecution will closely review today's judgment to identify any potential appellate issues.

The Court heard live testimony from 94 prosecution witnesses, and received written statements from four additional witnesses. The defence presented 21 witnesses, with Mr. Taylor testifying in his defence.

The SCSL was set up jointly by the Sierra Leonean Government and the UN in 2002, with the mandate of trying those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and national law committed on Sierra Leonean territory since the end of November 1996.

Although the SCSL is headquartered in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, Mr. Taylor's trial took place in a chamber of the Court sitting in The Hague for security reasons.