by Laura Hirahara

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone-Last week, former Liberian president Charles Taylor’s defense counsel rested their case in his trial before the Special Court of Sierra Leone at The Hague.  Taylor was indicted by the Court in 2003 under allegations that he promoted an eleven year civil war in Sierra Leone that led to wide spread violence in which thousands of people were victim to rape, enslavement, torture and murder.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor featured above. Photo by AFP.

The prosecution claims Taylor funded and controlled Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which was the primary rebel military force in the country.  It is alleged that he provided the RUF with armaments in exchange for ‘blood diamonds’; the RUF in turn used child soldiers to carry out acts of violence, most notoriously the cutting off of victims hands, arms and heads.

Taylor has been charged with eleven separate criminal counts including five counts of crimes against humanity, five counts of war crimes and one count of acting in violation of international humanitarian law.  During the trial, which started in early 2008, the defense brought twenty-one witnesses before the Court, including Taylor himself who states the charges against him are lies.

One such witness was Sam Flomo Kolleh, now 38, who testified that he was captured and forced to fight for the RUF during the conflict.  Kolleh told judges that the prosecution had offered him money in exchange for him refusing to testify and once on the stand, he told the Court that while he was a diamond courier, he never gave any diamonds to Taylor.

During the presentation of their case, the prosecution brought ninety-one witnesses, many of whom were victims of the RUF.  One notable witness was super-model Naomi Campbell who testified that three men gave her uncut diamonds after she met Taylor at a dinner during which he had promised her a large diamond as a gift.

Lead defense counsel for Taylor, Mr. Courtenay Griffiths, told the court when he rested his case, “I would also, in light of the comments I make, like to make clear that it has been accepted by us right from the outset that terrible crimes were committed in Sierra Leone. We share the concerns for the victims of these crimes, and we want to make clear that differences between the parties in the courtroom should not be exploited as evidence that either party naturally assumes a morally superior position.”

In a press release issued afterwards, Registrar of the Court, Binta Mansaray stated that the end of the defense case “is not only a major milestone in the Charles Taylor trial, but in the work of the court as a whole.”  Now that both sides have finished presenting their cases, each side will have the chance to offer closing arguments starting February 8, 2011.

For More Information Please See Links:

CNN- Charles Taylor Team Rests Case in War Crimes Trial– 12 Nov. 2010

AFP- Defense Wraps Up Testimony in Charles Taylor Trial– 9 Nov. 2010

Open Society Justice Initiative- Defense Lawyers Formally Close Their Case in the Charles Taylor Trial– 12 Nov. 2010