Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Liberian Ex-President on Trial, Challenges ‘Lies’

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Liberian Ex-President on Trial, Challenges ‘Lies’

AP photo / ICC

Taylor’s challenge is to persuade judges that the dozens of prosecution witnesses called to testify were lying.

Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, took the stand on Tuesday to defend himself against 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The first African leader to be tried by an international tribunal, Taylor is deemed responsible for atrocities committed during the civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002), in a tale of murder, rape, amputations, child soldiers and diamonds.

The New York Times:

Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, took the stand in his own defense at The Hague on Tuesday and immediately denied a catalog of horrifying charges based on testimony by prosecution witnesses telling stories of violence, rape, amputation and even cannibalism.

“This whole case against me is a case of deceit, deception and lies,” he told the Special Court for Sierra Leone sitting at The Hague.

It was his first time in the stand. Mr. Taylor — the first African leader to be tried for war crimes — said he had “fought all my life to do what I thought was right,” news reports said.

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TAGS: blood diamonds charles taylor child soldier crimes against humanity liberia sierra leon war crimes

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By PatrickHenry, July 14 at 6:30 pm #

Damn, how I envy those Liberians, they can put their crimminal ex-president on trial, why can’t America.

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By ZombieNation, July 14 at 4:25 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

How ironic that Taylor isn’t being tried for atrocities committed in his own country of Liberia, instead he is being accused of atrocities in another country.

Shouldn’t Bush & Cheney be on trial also for the atrocities they committed in Iraq, or are these court-jesters only interested in prosecuting African bad-guys?

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By rollzone, July 14 at 2:28 pm #

hello. wow, eating human hearts definately trumps taking over diamond mines; with drugged children soldiers. this is only the beginning of what could be juicier deviltry. those glasses he is wearing look like he is used to dressing up his appearance. looking innocent does not nullify the facts of past actions, and that evidence alone determines the outcome. i only pray victims and co-conspiritors are brave enough to testify to the truth, so society can mete out what is due.

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