Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was sentenced on Wednesday
to 50 years in prison for aiding and abetting war crimes against
humanity.
Last month, the U.N.-backed court found Taylor guilty
on 11 charges in connection with arming notoriously brutal rebels in
nearby Sierra Leone in exchange for so-called blood diamonds. It’s the
first time a former head of state has been convicted in an international
court since the Nuremburg military tribunal.
According to the Associated Press,
Taylor, 64, will serve his time in Britain, but will likely remain near
The Hague in the Netherlands while both the defense and prosecution
consider appeals. The defense, likely to file an immediate appeal, had
asked for a sentence that would have allowed Taylor some hope of release
before he dies. The prosecution, meanwhile, had asked for an 80-year
sentence.
