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Former Liberian president Charles Taylor |
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has appeared before the international court at The Hague, dismissing the charges brought against him as "lies".
In his first testimony at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor denied 11 counts of war crimes including terrorism, murder, rape and torture.
"It is quite incredible that such descriptions of me would come about," he said in response to a question about charges of murder and rape.
"It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution, because of disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors, would associate me with such titles or descriptions," the BBC quoted him as saying.
Taylor -- the first African leader to stand trial at an international court -- is charged with arming and directing rebel groups from Liberia in return for Sierra Leone diamond, as well as recruiting child soldiers.
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels committed grave atrocities during Sierra Leone's civil war, which ended in 2002, and were infamous for severing the limbs of civilians.
The 61-year-old Taylor denied the "false" and "malicious" charges, saying he had a "love for humanity" and that he fought all his life "in the interests of justice and fair play."
Taylor started a civil war in Liberia 1989 before he was elected president in 1997. He was extradited from Liberia in 2006 after a period of exile in Nigeria.
In May, judges rejected a request by Taylor's defense team to drop the brought charges against the former leader due to the lack of evidence.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is being held at the International Criminal Court (ICC) building at The Hague, after the trial was relocated from the capital of Freetown for fears of creating instability in Sierra Leone and neighboring Liberia.
MRS/HGH
In his first testimony at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor denied 11 counts of war crimes including terrorism, murder, rape and torture.
"It is quite incredible that such descriptions of me would come about," he said in response to a question about charges of murder and rape.
"It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution, because of disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors, would associate me with such titles or descriptions," the BBC quoted him as saying.
Taylor -- the first African leader to stand trial at an international court -- is charged with arming and directing rebel groups from Liberia in return for Sierra Leone diamond, as well as recruiting child soldiers.
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels committed grave atrocities during Sierra Leone's civil war, which ended in 2002, and were infamous for severing the limbs of civilians.
The 61-year-old Taylor denied the "false" and "malicious" charges, saying he had a "love for humanity" and that he fought all his life "in the interests of justice and fair play."
Taylor started a civil war in Liberia 1989 before he was elected president in 1997. He was extradited from Liberia in 2006 after a period of exile in Nigeria.
In May, judges rejected a request by Taylor's defense team to drop the brought charges against the former leader due to the lack of evidence.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is being held at the International Criminal Court (ICC) building at The Hague, after the trial was relocated from the capital of Freetown for fears of creating instability in Sierra Leone and neighboring Liberia.
MRS/HGH
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