LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands — More than a decade after fueling a murderous campaign of terror in Sierra Leone by supplying rebels with arms, Charles Taylor was definitively convicted and imprisoned Thursday for 50 years.
The appeals chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld the 65-year-old former Liberian president’s conviction on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including terrorism, murder, rape and using child soldiers.
“This is a historic and momentous day for the people of Sierra Leone and the region,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.
Wearing a black suit and a gold-colored tie, Taylor showed little emotion while Presiding Judge George Gelaga King read the unanimous verdict. His lawyer, Morris Anyah, said Taylor was disappointed by the ruling that will likely see him spend the rest of his life behind bars.
