 The lawyer of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor is challenging moves to transfer his client's war crimes trial to The Hague, saying it could compromise his chance of a fair hearing.
| Coincidentally, it would also compromise his chances of making a Daring Escape™... |
Taylor, long one of Africa's most feared warlords, has pleaded not guilty at a United Nations-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the west African country's 1991-2002 civil war.
The UN-backed court has asked the Netherlands to hold the rest of his trial in The Hague, citing fears that keeping him in Sierra Leone could provoke unrest among pockets of supporters there and in neighbouring countries including Liberia.
| They don't want to see him busted out, either. |
Taylor's British defence lawyer, Karim Khan, says in a motion filed to the court that there has been "no showing of good cause" to move Taylor's trial away from Freetown. "The change in venue proposed would appear, prima facie, to be discriminatory," the motion said. "Without such a showing of good cause, it is submitted that the change of venue proposed is contrary to the rights of the accused." Mr Khan argues that moving the trial from Freetown would put Taylor too far from witnesses needed for his defence. He says there is no reason why Taylor's case should be treated differently to other war crimes trials under way at the Sierra Leone court. |