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Last Updated: Jul 24, 2008 - 2:50:22 PM |
Commentaries
Much-Needed First Must Not Also Be a Last: A Review of the Annual Report of the HRC-SL
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Jul 24, 2008 - 2:33:40 PM
The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRC-SL) released
its first annual report earlier this month, commenting on how human rights have
been observed or violated in this country throughout the period of January 2007
to December 2007. While the first two sections of the report focused on the
background and activities of the HRC-SL itself, the third part, entitled “State
of Human Rights in Sierra Leone,” closely examined the
government’s adherence to its human rights’ commitments along with general
concerns related to various sectors of society and a number of specific
incidents reported by civilians. Part III of the report was extremely
comprehensive and so cannot be summarized in its entirety here.
Charles Taylor Trial
Weekly Summary of the Taylor Trial- Week of July 14-18, 2008
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Jul 21, 2008 - 4:23:11 PM
The witness returned to his
testimony regarding the killing of Sam Bockarie in 2003. The witness testified that while he was being
held in jail in Monrovia,
he overheard a BBC radio broadcast, reporting that Sam Bockarie had been
killed. Later Jungle and Sylvester (colleague
of Benjamin Yeaten) came to the witness and confirmed that they had killed Sam
Bockarie, and had been given an order to kill any soldier who had accompanied
Bockarie from Ivory Coast .
Articles
An Assessment of the Newly Re-Opened Approved School
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Jul 19, 2008 - 12:04:50 PM
The re-opening of Approved School by the Justice
Sector Development Programme (JSDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of
Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in late May this year, is viewed as welcome news to Civil Society Organizations
and other Non Governmental Organizations advocating for children’s rights, and
a hope for children in conflict with in the law. Chapter 44 of the Laws of
Sierra Leone 1960 makes provisions for the establishment of the Approved School,
where a child or young person convicted of criminal offences is sent for
rehabilitation instead of being sent to prisons as a form of punishment.
Commentaries
Balancing the Rights of the Defendants in the RUF Trial
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Jul 17, 2008 - 2:16:57 PM
The use of joint trials by
international tribunals has been protested by defendants and subjected of close examination by legal practitioners,
court monitors and judges alike. However, despite numerous decisions from
international tribunals on both the fairness of joinder and the acceptable
grounds for the severance of trials, difficult questions still arise as to how
to best assure the rights of
the accused once a joint trial has begun. One such question recently became a
subject of heated debate during the RUF trial in Trial Chamber I of the Special Court for Sierra Leone,
as the Gbao defense fought for the chance to present its evidence fully despite
the risk of incriminating co-defendant Morris Kallon in the process. Overall,
the Trial Chamber showed its respect for the importance of ensuring all rights
of each of the accused, treading carefully through multiple days of questioning
and objections to try to find the appropriate balance.
Charles Taylor Trial
Weekly Summary of the Taylor Trial- Week of July 7- July 11, 2008
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Jul 15, 2008 - 9:11:44 AM
The
Prosecution continued its direct examination of Protected Witness 34 (TF1-567)
in a closed session, to discuss matters related to security. When open session
resumed, the witness testified that he was told by Daniel Tamba – aka “Jungle” –
that after Sam Bockarie had returned to Freetown
in 1999, “Pa” Charles Taylor agreed to train a group of Bockarie’s men as
ATU. The witness testified that Sam Bockarie left the RUF to go to
Monrovia because he had disagreements with other RUF commanders. Bockarie did not want
to disarm before establishing a Government of National Unity, and feared the
disarmament was a plot by the UN to arrest him. When Sam Bockarie arrived
in Monrovia he had
contact with Charles Taylor “all the time”.
Charles Taylor Trial
Weekly Report on Taylor Trial Summary for the Week of June 30 – July 4, 2008
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Jul 10, 2008 - 3:44:36 PM
This week, Trial Chamber
II of the Special Court only held sessions on Wednesday 2 July and Friday 4
July, 2008, due to a Dutch holiday and the 10th On
Wednesday, Prosecution Counsel Brenda Hollis called the next Prosecution
witness, protected witness TF1-567. The
witness testified under a pseudonym in Krio, with image and voice
distortion. Part of the testimony was held
in private sessions in order to protect the identity of the witness. During the
afternoon session, the Principal Defender, Elizabeth Nahamya, made her first
appearance sitting in on the Taylor trial.
Charles Taylor Trial
Weekly Summary of the Taylor Trial – Week of June 23- June 27 2008
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Jul 4, 2008 - 7:46:54 AM
On Monday morning, Defense
Counsel Morris Anya concluded the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness
TF1-584, Ms. Alice Pyne, a.k.a. ‘Apple of Action. Mr. Anya began where he left off Friday,
asking the witness if she agreed with previous testimony given by Alimamy
Bobson Sesay in April 2008 that the Red Lion Battalion was formed in Colonel
Eddie Town. Ms. Pyne disagreed,
submitting that it was actually formed by Gullit in Koinadugu.
Reports
Weekly Report on RUF Trial – Summary for the Week of June 23-June 27 2008
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Jul 4, 2008 - 7:41:16 AM
This week brought the case for
Augustine Gbao’s defense to a close, marking the end of the presentation of
evidence by all of the accused. Only one witness was called to the stand, Mr.
Johan Hederstedt, a military expert serving as a common witness for both the
Sesay and Gbao defense teams. Mr. Hederstedt brought the number of witnesses
called by the Gbao defense to a total of eight. Mr. Hederstedt, a retired
general from the Swedish Armed Forces, was asked by the Sesay and Gbao defense teams
to write a report regarding (1) his evaluation of the RUF as a military force
in light of his knowledge of both guerilla movements and conventional armies
and (2) issues of command and control within the RUF arising from that
evaluation.
Charles Taylor Trial
Weekly Report on Taylor Trial: Summary for the Week of June 16 – June 20, 2008
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Jun 23, 2008 - 4:23:40 PM
Prosecution Counsel
Bangura continued the direct examination of protected witness TF1-590 this
week.The witness is a Sierra Leoneon who
was living in Liberia from 1998-1999. Last week he had testified about being captured by Chucky Taylor (Charles
Taylor, Jr.) and the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) in 1999. After a couple of escape attempts he was
brought to Monrovia at Charles Taylor’s request.
