Last updated 3 March 2010
Selected Events from: 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
2 March 2010: Defense witness, Smythe, acknowledges that there were misrepresentations in his written statement, after Prosecutors pointed out inconsistencies between his written statement and oral testimony. One example Prosecutors pointed out, Smythe testified in court Taylor’s rebel group NPFL did not use child soldiers. In his written statement made to defense lawyers in 2009 he said there was a Small Boys Unit, a group of child soldiers.
1 March 2010: During cross-examination, the Prosecution questions defense witness Yanks Smythe about Taylor’s presence in NPFL headquarter town, Gbangha, in 1996. After the witness agreed with the Prosecutor that Taylor did go to Gbangha in 1996, the Prosecutor read a portion of Taylor’s testimony in which he said that he never went to Gbangha in 1996. Smythe then clarified his response, agreeing with Taylor’s testimony, saying that he meant that after an attack on Taylor’s life in Monrovia, he left and went to Gbangha but never stayed there. Prosecutors are trying to discredit the testimony of the defense witness.
26 February 2010: Smythe says prosecution witnesses lied that former Liberian president recruited the use of child soldiers to fight in Liberia.
25 February 2010: Smythe continues refuting prosecution allegations. He testified that Taylor did not form or contribute to any plan to commit crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone and that he did not receive any diamonds from Sierra Leonean rebel forces.
24 February 2010: Yanks Smthye, defense witness, contradicts Taylor’s testimony by saying that Taylor dismissed Benjamin Yeaten, the director of Taylor’s Special Security Services, for the arrest and execution of Samuel Dokie and his family. Smthye testified Yeaten was suspended because the arrest was not an instruction by Taylor. During cross-examination Taylor told judges that the arrest and execution of Dokie and his family was not ordered by Yeaton as the prosecution had alleged. Prosecutors have alleged Taylor was responsible for arrests and executions of several of his opponents, one of whom was Dokie. Taylor denied the allegation, but Prosecutors further alleged Taylor knew about the unlawful actions taken by forces under him and that he did not take any action to punish those responsible.
23 February 2010: Taylor’s first defense witness, Yanks Smythe, continues testimony. He denies Taylor sent Gambian fighters to help in the March 1991 rebel attack on Sierra Leone and that Taylor used child soldiers while he was leader of the rebel forces in Liberia. In 2008 the Prosecution’s witness, Gambian Suwandi Camara, told the SCSL that Taylor sent two Gambian rebel fighters to support RUF rebels in March 1991. When asked about the two fighters, Smythe said that he was not aware of this.
22 February 2010: Yanks Smythe, Taylor’s first defense witness, claims that Taylor did not have a plan to destabilize West Africa. Smythe was part of a Gambian dissident group which partook in revolutionary training at a Libyan military training camp along with Liberian and Sierra Leonean rebels. Smythe testified that while they all stayed in the same guesthouse and trained in the same camp, no plans were ever formulated to collaborate in attacks in each country. The Prosecutors alleged that in 1980s Taylor met RUF leader, Foday Sankoh, and Gambain dissident, Dr. Kukua Sambasanja, and a plan was created to destabilize West Africa beginning with Liberia. Taylor denied the allegations.
19 February 2010: Taylor wraps up his re-examination and leaves the court with the message that the prosecutors have not proven their case against him.
17 February 2010: On re-examination, Taylor denies the allegation that in 1997 he secretly smuggled arms and ammunitions into Liberia without informing Economic Community of West African State Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) peacekeepers.
16 February 2010: On re-examination, Taylor denies working for the CIA while he was a rebel leader in Liberia, yet he did admit to receiving communication equipment from the agency, which hoped that Taylor would help protect US citizens and property during Liberia’s civil war. The Prosecutors had accused Taylor of working with the CIA while also collaborating with Libyan Government, which was providing support to the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group.
15 February 2010: Taylor’s defense counsel begins re-examination. Taylor explained how in 1999 he evaded a United Nations arms embargo by using secret personal bank account, opened in his name at the Liberian Bank for Development Investment (LBDI). He funneled millions of US dollars into the bank account, and then used the majority of the funds to buy arms and ammunition; which were then used to fight rebels threatening to oust his government. During cross-examination the Prosecutors alleged the money was not used for official purposes but to enrich Taylor.
8 February 2010: The judges of the SCSL grant the defense counsel request for a one week adjournment. The defense counsel request was prompted by “certain contentious issues” which had been indentified in Taylor’s cross-examination and that Taylor wished to discuss with his defense team before commencement of his re-examination. The Judges granted the adjournment as part of Taylor’s fair trial rights to consult his lawyer and be given adequate preparation time for his defense.
5 February 2010: After two months of cross-examination of Charles Taylor, cross-examination comes to a close.
2 February 2010: The prosecution alleges that in May 2000 when Taylor helped to secure the release of hundreds of UN peacekeepers held by Sierra Leonean rebels it was in order to help the rebels gain more control over Sierra Leone. Taylor denies the motivation was the enlargement of the RUF rebel’s control.
1 February 2010: Taylor denies Prosecution’s allegation that Taylor did not tolerate press freedom in Liberia during his Presidency.
28 January 2010: Taylor admits to inconsistencies between his direct-examination and cross-examination regarding whether he had ever met the leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola rebel group (UNITA). Presently, Taylor responded that he knew him but never met him personally; while during cross-examination he said that he met General Savimbi in Ivory Coast. Taylor responded to these inconsistencies by conceding that his former testimony was incorrect.
27 January 2010: The start of trial is delayed due to Taylor’s failure to appear. The Defense reported that there had been a security breach in Taylor’s cell and that security guards tampered with his documents. While Taylor requested time to cross-check his documents, the court denied this and ordered his appearance.
26 January 2010: Lead prosecutor, Hollis, presents evidence in the Taylor case that the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebels used child soldiers; suggesting that it was no surprise the RUF rebels also used child soldiers. Taylor denied the allegations that the NPFL uses child soldiers, stating all children they had were all placed in orphanages.
25 January 2010: The Prosecution continues cross-examination of Taylor, attempting to show a consistent pattern of crimes between the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and RUF and that rebel groups in both had the same command structure, namely: Taylor as commander.
21 January 2010: The Prosecution continues its attempts to impeach Taylor’s credibility as a witness testifying in his own defense. In cross-examination, the lead prosecutor questioned Taylor about activities in Liberia to establish actions of rebel forces in Sierra Leone as consistent with those of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), of Liberia.
16 January 2010: Lead prosecutor, Brenda Hollis, begins cross-examination of Mr. Taylor. The Prosecution accuses Taylor of giving a “blood diamond” to Naomi Campbell during a 1997 visit to South Africa. Judges disallowed a document that came from Mia Farrow stating that Taylor had received the diamond from the Sierra Leone junta regime. Taylor denies the allegations and accuses the prosecutors of using fresh evidence during cross-examination.
13 January 2010: The technical problems continue.
12 January 2010: Mr. Taylor shows up 45 minutes late because there was an attempt to bring him to court with other ICC detainees, in a manner which Taylor had refused in the past and had caused previous delays. Then, technical problems with the court’s hardware system hindering the ability to produce live notes of the transcripts cause the proceedings to be adjourned early.
7 December 2009: Taylor trial is adjourned until 11 January 2010.
16 November 2009: The Special Court turned over its detention facilities to Sierra Leone Prison Service, where it will be used to house female inmates. Last month the prisoners of the Special Court were transferred to Rwanda, where they will serve their sentences.
6 November 2009: The Administration of World Wide Justice (AOJWW) is conducting a month long witness training program, sponsored by the SCSL. The police officers selected will receive training in witness protection and handling issues (witness documentation and assessment), threat assessment and relocation options. The Court will provide five years of protection to witnesses who testified.
26 October 2009: Appeals Chamber delivers judgment in the case against three former RUF leaders: Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon, and Augustine Gbao. The Chamber unanimously upheld the convictions of Sesay and Kallon on all 16 counts and unanimously overturned Gbao’s conviction on Count 2 (collective punishments) and found that he was not responsible for one of the two attacks against UN peacekeepers (Count 15) for which he was convicted by the Trial Chamber. The majority of the Chamber also upheld Gbao’s liability for crimes pursuant to his participation in the Joint Criminal Enterprise, although three judges dissented on this holding.
8 September 2009: The appointment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations of Sierra Leonean lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara as Acting Prosecutor of the Special Court takes effect.
4 September 2009: Judges and members of Uganda’s recently-established War Crimes Division visit the Special Court as part of a study of transitional justice mechanisms in Sierra Leone.
2-4 September 2009: Appeals Chamber hears three days of oral arguments in the appeal by three convicted former leaders of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF): Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, who were convicted in February for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In April, the Trial Chamber handed down sentences ranging from 25 to 52 years.
19 August 2009: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp is confirmed as the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. Mr. Rapp will leave the Court on 7 September.
16 July 2009: Special Court President Justice Winters and Prosecutor Stephen Rapp brief the United Nations Security Council on the progress of the Court and remaining challenges.
13 July 2009: The Defense opens its case in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
3 July 2009: The Registrars of the Special Court, the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issue a joint declaration on the administration of justice following a roundtable meeting in Venice.
29 June 2009: The Special Court concludes a sentence enforcement agreement with Finland, which will allow the Court to send a convict to serve the remainder of his sentence in that country.
25 May 2009: Justice Renate Winter is re-elected as President of the Special Court.
4 May 2009: The Trial Chamber presiding over the Charles Taylor case dismisses the Defense’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and orders the Taylor defense to open on 29 June.
4 May 2009: Justice Shireen Avis Fisher of the United States is sworn in as an Appeals Chamber judge.
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9 April 2009: The Prosecution responds to Charles Taylor's Defense's oral submissions of a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal in the The Hague.
8 April 2009: In theRUFcase, the Special Court sentences Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon, and Augustine Gbao.Sesay, Kallon, and Gbao are sentenced to multiple terms of imprisonment to be served concurrently: Sesay's longest being 51 years, Kallon's longest being 40 years, and Gbao's longest being 25 years.
6 April 2009: Defense counsel for Charles Taylor presents oral submissions of a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal, arguing that the Prosecution failed to present evidence or prove its case beyond reasonable doubt on all counts in the indictment that would warrant a conviction against Mr. Taylor.
23 March 2009: The Special Court hears additional oral arguments on sentencing for the RUFcase.
19 March 2009: The SCSL signs a sentence enforcement agreement with the Rwandan government for SCSL-convicted war criminals to serve their sentences in Rwanda.
27 February 2009: The Prosecution rests its case against Charles Taylor and objects to Defense's request for 40 days to prepare for next stage of trial. The next hearing is set for 6 April 2009 for the Defense’s oral submissions on a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal.
25 February 2009: The Trial Chamber issues oral judgment convicting three former RUF leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Issa Hassan Sesay and Morris Kallon are convicted on 16 of 18 original counts, and Augustine Gbao was convicted on 14 of 18 original counts.
30 January 2009: The Prosecution concludes witness testimony in the trial for former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Altogether, Prosecutors called 91 witnesses to support their 11 count indictment of Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity.The Prosecution is awaiting decisions on several outstanding motions from the Trial Chamber beforeresting its case.
22 November 2008: Justice A. Raja N. Fernando, a Judge of the Appeals Chamber and former President of the Special Court, passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a short illness.
6 November 2008: Special Court publishes glossary of legal terms in the four major local languages of Sierra Leone.
20 October 2008: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp accuses Charles Taylor’s Defence lawyers of causing hardship for victim witnesses by requiring the witnesses’ presence in the court, located in the Hague, when their evidence is not in dispute.
30 September 2008: Defendant Charles Taylor absent from proecedings due to observance of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
2 September 2008: The Special Court for Sierra Leone informs the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia that any request for an audience with Charles Taylor would have to comply with the “Practice Direction on the procedure following a request by a State, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or other legitimate authority to take a statement from a person in the custody of the Special Court for Sierra Leone,” adopted by the Special Court on 9 September 2003 and amended on 4 October 2003.
1 September 2008: The Special Court for Sierra Leone receives a request from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia for an audience with former President of Liberia Charles Taylor.
5 August 2008: Closing arguments conclude in the RUF case.
24 June 2008: Witness testimony in the case of RUF case concludes. No further witness testimony will be given at the Court in Freetown.
30 May 2008: Justice Jon Kamanda Elected Vice President of Special Court.
29 May 2008: Justice Renate Winter Elected President of Special Court.
28 May 2008: Appeals Chamber overturns convictions of both AFRC accused on the collective punishments charge as well as Kondewa’s conviction for the use of child soldiers. At the same time, the Appeals Chamber enters new convictions against both Fofana and Kondewa for the crimes against humanity of murder and other inhumane acts. The Appeals Chamber also enhanced the sentences against the both accused, meaning Fofana will serve 15 years and Kondewa will serve 20 years.
6 March 2008: In the RUF case, Trial Chamber I denies Defence motion for an order to the Prosecution to clarify and specify the scope of its case regarding RUF involvement in the Freetown invasion on January 6, 1999.
27 February 2008: In the Taylor case, Trial Chamber II denies confidential Prosecution motions SCSL-03-01-T-372 and SCSL-03-01-T-385 for the testimonies of witnesses to be held in closed session.
25 February 2008: Trial Chamber I grants the Prosecution’s application for leave to appeal decision on the Sesay Defence motion requesting the lifting of protective measures in respect of certain Prosecution witnesses.
22 February 2008: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp commends the judgment of the Appeals Chamber upholding the Trial Chamber convictions of the three AFRC Defendants for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
22 February 2008: In the AFRC case, the Appeals Chamber upheld the sentences of Alex Tamba Brima (fifty years), Brima Bazzy Kamara (forty-five years), and Santigie Borbor Kanu (fifty years).
20-21 February 2008: The Special Court convenes an international conference to consider “residual issues” facing the court when it closes down, such as the enforcement of sentences, how requests for a review of judgment would be handled, and witness protection.
24 January 2008: In the RUF case, Trial Chamber I dismisses the Defence’s appeal against the Court’s decision dismissing Sesay and Gbao’s Motion for Voluntary Withdrawal or Disqualification of Hon. Justice Bankole Thompson.
21 January 2008: In the CDF case, the Appeals Chamber denies the Request of Human Rights Watch for Leave to Appear as Amicus Curiae in the Prosecution Appeal against the Judgment and Sentencing Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa.
7 January 2008: In the Taylor case, trail resumes in The Hague.
7 November 2007: Justice Jon Kamanda is sworn in as Appeals Judge
9 October 2007: In the CDF case, the Court issues sentencing judgments. Moinina Fofana, who is convicted on four counts, is to serve six years, and Allieu Kondewa, who is convicted on five counts, is to serve an eight-year sentence. Both are to be given credit for time served since being taken into custody on May 29, 2003.
2 August 2007: In the CDF case, the Court issues its judgment. Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa are each convicted on courts of murder, cruel treatment, pillage and collective punishments. Kondewa is also convicted on one count of recruitment of child combatants under the age of 15.
20 July 2007: The Secretary General of the United Nations appoints Herman von Hebel as Registrar of the Court. Mr. von Hebel has served as Deputy Registrar of the Court since July 2006. He in turn names Binta Mansaray to succeed him as Deputy Registrar.
19 July 2007: In the AFRC case, the Court hands down its first sentences to former members of Sierra Leone's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) Alex Tamba Brima ("Gullit"), Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanu ("Fiver-Five"). Brima and Kanu are sentenced to fifty years in prison and Kamara to forty-five years; all will receive credit for the time they were detained pending trial.
5 July 2007: Justice Benjamin Mutanga Itoe (Cameroon) is elected to a one-year term as Presiding Judge of Trial Chamber I. He succeeds Justice Bankole Thompson (Sierra Leone).
25 June 2007: In the Taylor case, Charles Taylor’s trial resumes. The defendant again refuses to appear, prompting the Court to rule that his failure to show constitutes a boycott and thus the defendant may not represent himself in the proceedings.
20 June 2007: In the AFRC case, Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu are convicted on 11 of 14 counts, including murder, rape and enlisting child soldiers. The judgment is the first to be handed down at the SCSL, and it marks the first time that an international court or tribunal has ruled on the charge of recruitment of child soldiers into an armed force, and on the crime of forced marriage in an armed conflict.
4 June 2007: In the Taylor case, the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor begins with opening arguments. Taylor boycots the processdings and his assigned attorney walks out of the courtroom, claiming that Taylor has fired him and wishes to act as his own attorney.
17 May 2007: Justice George Gelaga King (Sierra Leone) is re-elected Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber.
4 May 2007: Justice El Hadji Malick Sow (Senegal) is sworn in as an alternate Judge of the Special Court’s Trial Chamber.
3 May 2007: In the RUF case, the defense case opens.
19 March 2007: Herman Von Hebel is appointed Acting Registrar, replacing Lovemore Munlo.
22 February 2007: In the CDF case, former Sierra Leone Internal Affairs Minister Sam Hinga Norman Dies in Dakar, Senegal, while recovering from “routine” medical procedures performed on February 8.
23 January 2007: In the Taylor case, in response to a Defense request the Court decides that trial will be postponed until June 4, 2007.
17 January 2007: In the CDF and RUF cases, Sam Hinga Norman and Issa Sesay are flown to Dakar, Senegal, for undisclosed medical treatment.