War Crimes Trial for Charles Taylor Adjourns

Charles Taylor Trial Adjourns

VoA News: Former Liberian President Charles Taylor's three-year war crimes trial at the Hague has adjourned with final arguments from the prosecution and defense.

Judges are expected to render a verdict later this year.

On Friday, Prosecutor Brenda Hollis concluded by asking the judges to convict Mr. Taylor on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity based on evidence she says proves he is guilty without a reasonable doubt.

The defense on Friday countered that the prosecution had failed to link Mr. Taylor with war crimes and that other people, such as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi [who gave Taylor refuge and trained Taylor's own rebels] had supported rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war.

Mr. Taylor is accused of arming rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war in exchange for looted diamonds.

He has pleaded not guilty to war crimes and crimes against humanity charges for his alleged support of rebels from the Revolutionary United Front, or R-U-F.

If convicted, Mr. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

[No charges have been brought against Charles Taylor for his more prolific and atrocious war crimes in Liberia, as a rebel leader, or as dictator, or as elected President.]