In an unsurprising result, former Liberian President Charles Taylor has been convicted after his trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). The trial court convicted him for aiding and abetting a variety of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1991-2002 civil war in Sierra Leone (including the conscription of child soldiers, a crime for which the ICC's first accused, Lubanga, was also convicted). Notably, Taylor was acquitted of having directly perpetrated any of the crimes, and the court also found he was not party to a joint criminal enterprise (JCE).
Reaction has been swift, including a significant amount of protest in Liberia, where Taylor remains popular. Coverage here and here, and a summary of the court's findings can be found here. The official version of the judgment is to be released in the near future.
Some Liberians have criticized Taylor's conviction as a "mockery of justice." The mockery of justice would have occurred if he was not found responsible. The record is quite clear, having been established in other cases such as the US prosecution of Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr., where the court heard evidence that the Liberian forces in Sierra Leone were encouraged to engage in cannibalism, among other acts. Taylor is the first head of government to be convicted before an international criminal tribunal. Hopefully he will not be the last. There will, of course, be an appeal. Today, however, another chink in the armor of impunity.
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