Exiling the convicted former Liberian leader Charles Taylor to Britain’s unsafe jails would leave him “culturally isolated” and constitute a “punishment within a punishment”, his lawyers have told a UN-backed war crimes tribunal.
In defence submissions ahead of the former president’s sentencing later this month, his defence team has argued for a shorter period of detention than the 80 years demanded by the prosecution.
Taylor (64) was found guilty last month at the special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity by supporting rebels in Sierra Leone between 1996 and 2002 in return for “blood diamonds”. Any prison sentence is likely to be served in the UK.
Sentencing for the 11 counts of which Taylor was found guilty – including murder, rape, sexual slavery, enforced amputations and pillage – is scheduled for May 30th. His defence, led by Courtenay Griffiths, has signalled it will appeal Taylor’s conviction.
The Hague court cannot impose the death penalty or a life sentence, so an 80-year sentence, Griffiths maintained, was “manifestly excessive” and “outlandish”. – (Guardian service)