On April 26, 2012, Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, became the only former head of state since Nuremberg to be convicted for war crimes or crimes against humanity by an international or hybrid tribunal. Charles Taylor became president of Liberia on August 2, 1997 after years of civil war. Taylor was implicated in the war of Sierra Leone through his support of brutal rebel groups known for killing, raping, and cutting off the limbs of their thousands of victims. These groups also forcibly recruited thousands of child soldiers. Taylor’s trial and conviction sent the message that the world has become a less hospitable place for the highest-level leaders who are accused of committing serious crimes in violation of international law.
© 2012 Reuters