African Warlord Charles Taylor Convicted for Role in Sierra Leone Murders

African Warlord Charles Taylor Convicted for Role in Sierra Leone Murders

After a five-year-trial which included horrific testimonies from victims who were former colleagues and even fashion supermodel Naomi Campbell.  African warlord Charles Taylor was indicted for his role in the crimes committed in Sierra Leone including sexual slavery, mass murder, and the use of children as soldiers.

Taylor was found guilty by the U.N.-backed Sierra Leone Special Court on all the 11 charges for "aiding and abetting" crimes against the people of the African nation committed by militant groups in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Peter Andersen, a spokesperson for the Special Court of Sierra Leone where Taylor was tried, told ABC News that the conviction was not a full victory for the prosecution.  He hoped that Taylor would be convicted of being part of a "joint criminal enterprise" and being a “superior leader” of the group which committed these atrocities.

The original indictment filed against Taylor includes "conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years into armed forces or groups" and multiple incidents of mass rape and sexual abuse.

While the case has already been a landmark for international courts, Taylor's trial captured international headlines after two high-profile celebrities became involved.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was subpoenaed by the court following allegations that Taylor had given her uncut "blood diamonds" on a trip to South Africa.  When asked about the diamonds in April 2010, Campbell denied she received any diamonds. But when she took the stand for the criminal court, Campbell admitted receiving a gift of "small dirty-looking stones."

Posted by James Fried on Saturday April 28 2012, 3:46 AM EST. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0