Charles Taylor, 64, the first former head of state to be convicted of war crimes since World War II was sentenced to 50 years in prison yesterday by an international court in The Hague, Netherlands. Taylor is due to serve his sentence at a high security prison in Britain. There is no death penalty in international criminal law. The six years he spent detained during the trial will count against his term. Meanwhile, he is appealing his conviction. Dressed in a blue suit and yellow tie, Taylor sat impassively through the roughly 45minute sentencing. Hands clasped in front of his mouth and brow furrowed, Taylor shifted uneasily when the camera broadcasting proceedings settled on him. He directed his gaze downward while Presiding Judge Richard Lussick read the sentencing statement, which began with a horror cabinet of carnage committed in Sierra Leone by rebels from the Revolutionary United Front, which the former president backed. "The accused has been found responsible...
Comments
Post a Comment