The sentence of Charles Taylor

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PRESS RELEASE  

The Hague, 30 May 2011 

Today the Trial Chamber sentenced Mr. Taylor to 50 years in prison. The sentence follows Mr. Taylor’s conviction of eleven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Brenda J. Hollis said “we appreciate that the Trial Chamber appropriately highlighted the extreme gravity of the crimes of which Mr. Taylor has been convicted.  The judges quite rightly noted the devastating long term impact of the crimes on those who survived them.”  “Mr. Taylor was convicted of planning the most vicious offensive in the entire campaign of atrocities against the people of Sierra Leone, an operation aptly named Operation No Living Thing.  He not only planned it, but issued the imperative that it should be ‘fearful’ and that it should use ‘all means’. Additionally, Mr. Taylor was convicted of providing ‘indispensable’ and multi-varied support to the rebels throughout the ongoing campaign of atrocities against the people of Sierra Leone, including during Operation No Living Thing.” “We will carefully review the sentencing judgment keeping in mind the critical role Mr. Taylor played in the commission of the crimes of which he has been convicted, the horrible suffering of the victims, and the devastating impact of the crimes,” stated Hollis. “Upon completion of that review, we will determine if we will appeal the sentence. It is important that those responsible for criminal misconduct on a massive scale are not given a volume 

discount.” “The sentence imposed today does not replace amputated limbs, does not bring back to life those who were murdered, does not heal the wounds of those who were victims of sexual violence, and does not remove the permanent emotional, psychological and physical scars of those enslaved or recruited as child soldiers. But this sentence does bring some measure of justice for these terrible wrongs, and reflects the condemnation of all members of the global community for the suffering inflicted on innocent men, women and children.” 

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Special Court for Sierra Leone 
Outreach and Public Affairs Office 
PRESS RELEASE 
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 30 May 2012 

Charles Taylor Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison. The Judges of Trial Chamber II today sentenced convicted former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor to a term of 50 years in prison for planning and for aiding and abetting crimes committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone during the country's decade-long civil war.   The Trial Chamber, comprised of Justice Richard Lussick of Samoa (Presiding), Justice Teresa Doherty of Northern Ireland, and Justice Sebutinde of Uganda, unanimously imposed the single global sentence for all 11 counts of the crimes for which Mr. Taylor was convicted. These included acts of terrorism, murder, rape, sexual slavery, outrages upon personal dignity, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, conscripting or enlisting of child soldiers, enslavement and pillage. Justice Lussick, who read out the judgement in court, said the Trial Chamber found that Mr. Taylor's abuse of his position as President of Liberia to aid and abet the commission of crimes in Sierra Leone, and the abuse of his position as a member of the ECOWAS Committee of Five (later Six), which was “part of the process relied on by the international community to bring peace to Sierra Leone,” was “an aggravating factor of great weight.” The Judges also cited the extra-territoriality of Mr. Taylor's acts, and his exploitation of the Sierra Leone conflict for financial gain, as aggravating factors considered in the sentencing. The Judges took into account the report of Mr. Taylor's good conduct in detention, but otherwise rejected a number of mitigating factors proposed by the Defence.  

While the jurisprudence of the Special Court and other tribunals “holds that aiding and abetting as a mode of liability generally warrants a lesser sentence than that imposed for more direct forms of participation,” Justice Lussick said that Mr. Taylor's leadership role “puts him in a class of his own.” “The Trial Chamber wishes to underscore the gravity it attaches to Mr. Taylor's betrayal of the public trust,” Justice Lussick said. “In the Trial Chamber's view, this betrayal outweighs the distinctions that might otherwise pertain to the modes of liability discussed above.” The parties, if they intend to appeal, must submit written notice to the Appeals Chamber within 14 days of today's sentencing judgement, setting forth the grounds of their appeal. 

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The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It is mandated to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996. 

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Special Court for Sierra Leone 
Outreach and Public Affairs Office 
PRESS RELEASE  
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 16 May 2012 

Prosecution, Defence Present Oral Arguments at Taylor Sentencing Hearing Convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor expressed his “sadness and deepest sympathy for the atrocities and crimes that were suffered by individuals and families in Sierra Leone,” today, but told the Judges at his sentencing hearing that he was not responsible for the crimes committed by rebel forces and that his prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity was motivated by politics. He asked that “reconciliation and healing and not retribution should be the guiding principles in your honours’ task” in determining his sentence. 

Mr. Taylor was given the opportunity to address the Court following oral submissions from Prosecutor Brenda Hollis and Lead Defence Counsel Courtenay Griffiths, QC on sentencing briefs they filed before the Court earlier this month.  Mr. Taylor was found guilty last month of planning and aiding and abetting the crimes set forth in all 11 counts of an indictment alleging his responsibility for crimes committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone during the country’s civil war. These included acts of terrorism, murder, rape and sexual slavery, other inhumane acts, outrages on personal dignity, physical violence, enslavement, pillage, and the conscription and enlistment of child soldiers. In their April 26 judgement, the Judges of Trial Chamber II found that Mr. Taylor had participated in planning the rebel attacks on Kono, Makeni and Freetown between December 1998 and February 1999, and that he had instructed the rebels to “make the operation fearful.” The Judges also convicted him on all counts for aiding and abetting the rebels in the commission of crimes during the war in Sierra Leone by providing arms and ammunition, military personnel, operational support and moral support. The Judges did not find that Mr. Taylor had superior responsibility over members of the rebel groups, or that he was criminally responsible by virtue of having participated in a joint criminal enterprise. These “Modes of Liability,” together with claims of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, were considered in the sentencing arguments.  Prosecutor Hollis, who has recommended an 80-year sentence for Mr. Taylor, told the Judges that “the gravity of the crimes is the litmus test” in how they should determine the length of his sentence. Ms. Hollis argued in her brief that  the length of time over which the crimes were committed, Mr. Taylor’s “willing and enthusiastic participation” in the crimes, and his “leadership positions and betrayal of positions of trust” were sufficient to justify a long sentence which would “reflect the essential role that Mr. Taylor played in crimes of such extreme scope and gravity.”  “Mr. Taylor was the root which fed and maintained the RUF and AFRC/RUF alliance alive; without him the rebel movement, with its attendant crimes, would have suffered an earlier death…His own involvement…was more pervasive than the other senior leaders of the AFRC and RUF whose sentences are now final,” Ms. Hollis told the Judges today. She argued that the mitigating factors proposed by the Defence, which could justify a lower sentence for Mr. Taylor, had not been established by a balance of probabilities. “The Prosecution recommendations would truly promote an end to impunity and would bring true reconciliation by giving a measure of justice and accountability to the victims of the multitude of crimes committed against them,” she told the Judges. Mr. Griffiths argued that last month’s judgement suggested a more limited role for Mr. Taylor in the Sierra Leone conflict than the Prosecution had claimed, and that his conviction on aiding and abetting should not be expanded to cover all of the crimes committed by the rebels. Mr. Griffiths argued that Mr. Taylor was unfairly singled out for Prosecution – an argument rejected by the Chamber in its Summary Judgement – and that many other leaders had committed similar offences for which they had not been held accountable. Mr. Griffith’s told the Court that the 80 years sought by the Prosecution is in effect a life sentence. “To sentence a 64-year old man to 80 years is a guarantee that he will die in prison, He said. “What is proposed is a life sentence, a sentence which cannot be imposed by this court. “ Mr. Griffiths said that a long sentence could endanger the peace which the Special Court was established to maintain. “Retribution should never be the sole criterion in sentencing, neither deterrent,” he said. “Every accused, in our submission, must be left with some hope, must be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, however long that tunnel must be. And we submit that should be a guiding consideration in this sentencing exercise.” The sentencing judgement will be delivered on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 at 11:00 a.m. local time (9:00 a.m. GMT. 

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The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It is mandated to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996. 

INFORMATION FOR MEDIA - NOT FOR ADVERTISING
Produced by the
Outreach and Public Affairs Office
Special Court for Sierra Leone
Mobile: 232 76  655732
Email: SCSL-pressoffice@un.org
Visit our website at www.sc-sl.org