Indictment Against Charles Taylor, President of Liberia, for Crimes Against Humanity - 2003-06-04

The Special Court for Sierra Leone has issued an indictment against Charles Taylor, the President of Liberia, who is currently in Ghana attending peace negotiations. In a statement released today, the court announced that the prosecutor has charged Mr. Taylor with committing crimes against humanity during the ten years of civil war in Sierra Leone. The indictment was issued shortly after Mr. Taylor attended the opening ceremony of peace talks in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The Special Court stated that the timing of the indictment against Charles Taylor was deliberate, coinciding with his travel outside of Liberia. The war crimes court said that the arrest warrant for the accused has been submitted to the authorities in Ghana. After attending the opening ceremony, Mr. Taylor left the capital of Ghana to return to his country. Mr. Taylor is accused of arming Sierra Leonean rebels in their brutal civil wars, which ended in 2001, in exchange for diamonds. Charles Taylor announced before returning to his country that he would resign from his position in January to allow for elections for a new transitional government of national unity for Liberia.