Taylor 'must stand trial'

2004-05-31 22:58

Freetown - The UN-backed war crimes court for Sierra Leone on Monday ruled that former Liberian president Charles Taylor must stand trial on charges of aiding rebels during the west African country's civil war.

The court rejected a motion filed by Taylor's lawyers, in which they argued he was immune from prosecution because he was a serving head of state at the time of the alleged crimes and his indictment, a statement said.

"We hold that the official position of the applicant Charles Taylor as an incumbent head of state at the time when the criminal proceedings were initiated against him is not a bar for his prosecution by this court," said the statement.

Judge Emmanuel Ayoola said Taylor "was and is subject to criminal proceedings before the special court, which is an international court."

Taylor has been in exile in Nigeria since August last year, when, under huge international pressure, he stood down, paving the way for an end to 14 years of war in his country.

He was indicted in March last year on 17 counts of crimes against humanity for allegedly arming and training Sierra Leone's notorious Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

In exchange for his help, which is believed to have included the dispatch of Liberian fighters into Sierra Leone to back the rebels, Taylor was allegedly paid with so-called "blood" diamonds - among the estimated $400m worth of the precious gems smuggled from Sierra Leone during the war.

Taylor was served with the indictment in June of last year in Accra, Ghana, where he was engaged in negotiations to end Liberia's civil war, sparked in 1989 by his rebellion against then president Samuel Doe.

The court's timing infuriated regional leaders who were trying to broker the peace deal, including Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo who eventually became Taylor's reluctant host in exile.

Since then Obasanjo has remained firm, even flying in the face of an Interpol warrant filed in December, that his guest will stay where he is until Liberia summons him home for trial.

- AFP