Once he was a president now is a Criminal !
Excerpt from CNN
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CNN) — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor appeared in court Monday at the resumption of his war crimes trial, six months after boycotting the opening session and calling the trial a “charade.”
He did not speak.
The first witness Monday was Canadian author Ian Smillie, who is considered an expert in the trade of blood diamonds, so called because funds from their sale fuel African rebel groups. He was testifying for the prosecution, explaining how the trade in ‘blood diamonds’ exacerbated the conflict.
Taylor, who was president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is charged with five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual slavery and violence, and enslavement. He also faces five counts of war crimes, including acts of terrorism and torture, and one count of other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Taylor is accused of fueling a bloody civil war in Sierra Leone that led to widespread murder, rape, and mutilation. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The war, which involved riches from the diamond trade, was fought largely by teenagers who were forced to kill, given addictive drugs to provoke violent behavior, and often instructed to rape and plunder.
read the full text at CNN International
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/07/taylor.trial/index.html
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