Taylor Leaves For Trial At The Hague
Nji Che - All Headline News Staff Writer Freetown, Sierra Leone (AHN) - The U.N.-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone on Monday announced former Liberian leader Charles Taylor had left Sierra Leone ahead of his trial at The Hague. A U.N. helicopter transferred Taylor from his cell to Freetown's airport from where he was flown off to The Netherlands. Last week, the United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed that former Liberian President Charles Taylor be tried at The Hague. The decision came after Britain agreed to jail the former warlord if convicted for war crimes. Britain offered to jail Taylor as many European Union members declined to host him in their prisons. He has already denied 11 war crimes charges. A Thursday night BBC news report quoted British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett saying, "I was delighted to be able to respond positively to the request of the United Nations Secretary General, that, should he be convicted, Charles Taylor serves his sentence in the UK." Taylor who was held at the border between Nigeria and Cameroon was immediately transferred to Liberia, and later to Sierra Leone where he was held by a U.N.-backed tribunal prior to his Tuesday departure. A chief prosecutor at The Hague described Mr Taylor as the third most wanted war crimes suspect in the world. Sierra Leone and Liberia are recovering from years of conflict, in which Mr Taylor played a major role.
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