Briefing dossier: International mandate and indictment of Charles Taylor (former Pres. of Liberia) launched by a UN-backed Special war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone.

- Sierra Leone court says Taylor must face justice to ensure lasting peace in Liberia (UN News Service, August 12, 2003) Short article which explains the context of the case against Mr. Taylor, former President of Liberia.

- UN-backed Sierra Leone court indicts Liberian President Charles Taylor

- Switzerland freezes Liberian leader's assets at request of Sierra Leone special court

Note : All emphasis in articles below added by Siriel-Admin (M. Lessard).

The following article summarizes the context.

Source: UN News Service
Date: 12 Aug 2003

Sierra Leone court says Taylor must face justice to ensure lasting peace in Liberia

"There can be no true peace while (Mr. Taylor) remains at large," said David Crane, Chief Prosecutor for the Freetown-based Special Court for Sierra Leone. He called on the international community to take the steps necessary to make certain that Mr. Taylor was arrested and brought before the tribunal, and noted that West African leaders as well as the United Nations had assured his office that an international war crimes indictment "was not considered open to negotiation and ransom."

On 4 June, the Special Court unsealed its indictment against Mr. Taylor, which included an international warrant for his arrest. He is charged as one of those "bearing the greatest responsibility" for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed during Sierra Leone's bloody 10-year civil war. The alleged crimes include murder, taking hostages, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers.

UN-backed Sierra Leone court indicts Liberian President Charles Taylor (UN News Service, June 4, 2003)

4 June – A United Nations-backed court in Sierra Leone announced today that it has indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor for war crimes and issued an international warrant for his arrest.

“My Office was given an international mandate by the United Nations and the Republic of Sierra Leone to follow the evidence impartially wherever it leads. It has led us unequivocally to Taylor,” David Crane, the Court’s Chief Prosecutor, said in making public the indictment.

Mr. Taylor is charged with “bearing the greatest responsibility” for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international humanitarian law” in Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996, at the height of that country’s brutal 10-year civil war. Mr. Crane said the indictment had been judicially approved on 7 March but had been sealed, on his request, until now.

Reacting to the announcement, Betrand Ramcharan, the Acting UN High Commissioner or Human Rights, expressed solidarity with the Chief Prosecutor and support for the Special Court. In a statement, he recalled the aspirations of the people of Sierra Leone and Liberia for peace and reconciliation, and appealed to all concerned – particularly the Liberian leadership – to act with calm and wisdom and to uphold international human rights and humanitarian law.

The Special Court’s announcement came with Mr. Taylor in neighbouring Ghana, where peace talks with rebels are underway. A warrant for his arrest has been served on the Ghanaian authorities and sent to Interpol, Mr. Crane said.

The Prosecutor, who said the announcement was timed so attendees at the peace talks would know they are dealing with an indicted war criminal, stressed that the negotiations should still go forward, but must not include Mr. Taylor. “The evidence upon which this indictment was approved raises serious questions about Taylor’s suitability to be a guarantor of any deal, let alone a peace agreement,” he said.

By making the indictment public at this time, Mr. Crane said, he intended to send a “clear message” to all factions fighting in Liberia that they must respect international law – commanders are under international obligation to prevent their members from committing crimes against humanity.

Citing relevant UN Security Council resolutions, he called on all nations to reinforce their commitments to international peace and security and “to take decisive action to ensure that Taylor is brought to justice.”

In March, the Court also indicted Sam Bockarie and another rebel leader, Johnny Paul Koroma, for alleged atrocities – ranging from murder and sexual slavery to forced conscription of children and attacks on UN peacekeepers. Both were connected with President Taylor and the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The alleged body of Mr. Bockarie, who was killed last month in Liberia, has been turned over to the tribunal for positive identification, while Mr. Koroma remains at large, purportedly holed up in a small Liberian village.

The Special Court, created through an international agreement between the United Nations and Sierra Leone, is mandated to try those who bear “the greatest responsibility” for atrocities committed during the country's civil war.

Switzerland freezes Liberian leader's assets at request of Sierra Leone special court (UN News Service, June 23, 2003)

23 June – Responding to a request from the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Switzerland announced today that various personal and business accounts of President Charles Taylor of Liberia had been blocked or frozen last week.

The Court's Prosecutor, David Crane, thanked the Swiss authorities for their rapid and decisive support of the tribunal, which had made the request to block assets held by Mr. Taylor. "The money may be evidence of the joint criminal enterprise that we allege Taylor, with several other indictees, conducted in Sierra Leone over a period of year," Mr. Crane said.

The request to block assets was made pursuant to the original arrest warrant issued against Mr. Taylor on 7 March, which requests countries "to identify and to locate assets owned by the accused located within the territory of any State and adopt provisional measures to freeze such assets."