Charles Taylor found guilty of war crimes, sentencing slated for May 30

Liberia's former President Charles Ghankay Taylor has been pronounced guilty of war crimes against humanity at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague.

He was found guilty of all 11 charges against him and is due for sentencing on May 30, 2012.

While the court said he was not the mastermind in the crimes he was charged with, he was found guilty of aiding and abetment their commission. Taylor was found guilty of secretly fueling the violence by engaging in arms trading and arming the former Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels even when an embargo was in force, and at the same time publicly participating in peace processes.

During the brutal assault, RUF fighters chopped off the limbs of helpless civilians with machetes, killed, raped and robbed their victims.

The charges against Taylor were:
1 Acts of terrorism (war crimes)
2 Murder, (Crimes Against Humanity)
3 Violence to life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular murder (war crimes)
4 Rape (Crimes Against Humanity)
5 Sexual slavery and any other form of sexual violence (Crimes Against Humanity)
6 Outrages upon personal dignity (war crimes)
7 Violence to life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular cruel treatment (war crimes)
8 Other inhumane acts (Crimes Against Humanity)
9 Conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years into armed forces or groups, or using them to participate actively in hostilities (Other serious violation of international humanitarian law)
10 Enslavement (Crimes Against Humanity)
11 Pillage (war crimes)



 From: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com