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This is an archive article published on April 27, 2012

Taylor held responsible for Sierra Leone crimes

Taylors attorney,Courtenay Griffiths,slammed the ruling as based on tainted and corrupt evidence.

In a historic ruling,an international court convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Thursday of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting notoriously brutal rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone in return for blood diamonds.

Taylor is the first head of state convicted by an international court since the post-World War II Nuremberg military tribunal.

Today is for the people of Sierra Leone who suffered horribly at the hands of Charles Taylor and his proxy forces, said prosecutor Brenda Hollis. This judgment brings some measure of justice to the many thousands of victims who paid a terrible price for Mr Taylors crimes.

Taylors attorney,Courtenay Griffiths,slammed the ruling as based on tainted and corrupt evidence.

Presiding Judge Richard Lussick said the 64-year-old warlord-turned-president provided extensive aid to rebels responsible for countless atrocities in the 1991-2002 Sierra Leone civil war and was repaid by the guerrillas in so-called blood diamonds mined by slave labourers.

 

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