Charles Taylor Skips War Crimes Trial

Taylor accused of giving model 'blood diamond'

(NEWSER) - Supermodels aren't often called as witnesses at war crimes tribunals, and Liberian strongman Charles Taylor's lawyers want to keep it that way. They're seeking to block Naomi Campbell from being subpoenaed to appear at Taylor's trial to testify about a "blood diamond" she allegedly received from the warlord at a dinner in South Africa in 1997, ABC News reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor defended displaying human skulls along roadways in his country to scare people into obeying soldiers' orders, reports the Times of London. “Skulls were used as symbols of death,” he told the judges at his trial at the Hague. “Enemy soldiers had been killed and their skulls were used. We did not think that symbol was anything wrong." More»

International court rules against former Liberian president

(AP) - In a historic ruling, an international court convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Thursday of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting notoriously brutal rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in return for blood diamonds. Taylor is the first head of state convicted by an international court since the post-World War II Nuremberg military tribunal. Presiding Judge Richard Lussick said the 64-year-old warlord-turned-president provided arms, ammunition, communications equipment, and planning to rebels responsible for countless atrocities in the 1991-2002 Sierra Leone civil war. Lussick called the support "sustained and significant." More»

Taylor calls himself 'lover of humanity'

(NEWSER) - Former Liberian president Charles Taylor took the stand today in the Hague, calling war-crimes allegations against him “lies,” the BBC reports. “It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution, because of disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors would associate me with such titles or descriptions,” he said regarding accusations of terrorism, torture, murder, and rape. More»

War crimes court pleads for cash in case against former Liberian president

(NEWSER) - The war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor is set to begin in The Hague after months of costly delays—forcing the court to ask for financial handouts to complete the proceedings. Taylor, 59, trained Sierra Leone's notoriously violent Revolutionary United Front in exchange for "blood diamonds," so called because of their cost in human lives, He is charged with crimes against humanity, murder and rape. More»