The Special Court for Sierra Leone will consider next week an application by defense lawyers to postpone the trial until January of next year. The Court announced that the trail will not proceed on August 20 as previously scheduled, but instead a “status conference” will be held to determine the length of delay. Taylor’s new defense team asked in their motion that the trial be postponed until January 7 to allow “adequate time and facilities for the preparation of [Taylor’s] defense, as required by Article 17 of the Statute of the Special Court of Sierra Leone.” The prosecution’s response stated that it was ready to begin leading evidence, however it agreed that the defense team’s request for more time was justified. The duration of the delay is left to the court’s discretion.
Taylor is on trial in The Hague, accused of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes including mutilations, murder, sexual slavery, sexual violence, recruiting children as soldiers, abduction, and forced labor. Taylor has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. In June, Taylor initially boycotted the trial, calling it unfair and without legitimacy. He fired his court-appointed attorney and requested a new one be appointed and that he receive more money for his legal defense fund. The court has since appointed a new attorney from the UK, and increased his legal fund several times.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established with United Nations backing to try those deemed most responsible for crimes against humanity that occurred during the 1991-2002 war. Taylor’s trial is being held in The Hague due to fears that it could create instability if held in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. On Saturday, Sierra Leone held its first elections since UN peacekeepers left the country a year ago.
For more information, please see:
Afrol News – Taylor’s attorneys seek adjournment – 14 August 2007
AllAfrica – Taylor Seeks to Postpone Trial Again – 14 August 2007
Washington Post – Trial of Liberia’s Taylor Delayed Again – 13 August 2007
