Charles Taylor guilty of aiding Sierra Leone war crimes

International judges have found former Liberian leader Charles Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes during the Sierra Leone civil war, at his trial in The Hague.

Taylor has been on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone for almost five years.

He was accused of backing rebels who killed tens of thousands during Sierra Leone’s 1991-2002 civil war.

But he was cleared of ordering their crimes.

“The chamber finds beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is criminally responsible… for aiding and abetting the commission of the crimes 1 to 11 in the indictment,” presiding judge Richard Lussick told the Special Court for Sierra Leone, based on the outskirts of The Hague, as he read the verdict.

The accused had substantial influence over the Sierra Leonean RUF rebels, but this fell short of effective command and control, the judge says.

Judge Lussick also said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was part of a joint criminal enterprise.

But the chamber found beyond reasonable doubt that the accused provided material help to the RUF, the judge says.

Source: BBC