[70] In January 2017 it was found that he had been making phone calls from the prison to provide guidance to the National Patriotic Party and threaten some of his enemies.[71]. The Perspective Atlanta, Georgia. Johnson and his forces captured and tortured Doe to death, instigating a violent political fragmentation of the country. Additionally, there was widespread fear in the country that Taylor would resume the war if he lost. The country was subsequently gripped again by civil war, and Taylor, accused of gross human rights violations, was indicted by a UN-sponsored war-crimes tribunal (the Special Court for Sierra Leone) in 2003. [87] However, after rendering its judgment, the UK Supreme Court sent the case back to the Central Criminal Court to consider further evidence from the prosecution's expert and apply the legal standard confirmed by the Supreme Court to the facts of the case. [86] On 6 December 2019 the Central Criminal Court (The Old Bailey) in London decided to dismiss the charges against Agnes Reeves Taylor. In September 1990, Johnson captured Monrovia, depriving Taylor of outright victory. Taylor supported the 12 April 1980 coup led by Samuel Doe, which resulted in the murder of President William R. Tolbert Jr. and seizure of power by Doe. In order for a member of a non-State armed group to be prosecuted for torture, the group must have been exercising “governmental functions”. Taylor was charged with:[61], At his trial, Taylor claimed that he was a victim, denied the charges and compared his actions of torture and crimes against humanity to the actions of George W. Bush in the War on Terror. [79] In October 2008, Emmanuel was convicted on all three counts and sentenced to 97 years in prison.[80]. Omissions? [49] During the trial, the chief prosecutor alleged that a key insider witness who testified against Taylor went into hiding after being threatened for giving evidence against Taylor. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It was not until July 2009 that Taylor took the stand in his own defense. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Charles McArthur Emmanuel, also known as Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr., was convicted of torture, firearms and conspiracy charges on the second day of jury deliberations. His lawyers' primary arguments before US District Magistrate Robert J. DeGiacomo stated that his alleged acts of lawbreaking in Liberia were political rather than criminal in nature and that the extradition treaty between the two republics had lapsed. Stearns' arguments were reinforced by Liberian Justice Minister Jenkins Scott, who flew to the United States to testify at the proceedings. In addition to aiding the RUF in these acts, Taylor reportedly personally directed RUF operations in Sierra Leone. The investigation into whether Taylor had indeed trafficked in diamonds was highly publicized, in part because British model Naomi Campbell was called to testify in August 2010 about a stone (or a number of stones) that Taylor allegedly had given her in South Africa in 1997. He encouraged his followers to use rape as a weapon and cut of the hands of people who opposed him. He will be sentenced on 30 May. Emmanuel was arrested in 2006 after entering the United States and was charged with three counts, including participation in torture while serving in the Anti-Terrorist Unit in Liberia during his father's presidency. Governments around the world accused Taylor of supporting rebels in Sierra Leone, and in 2000 the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Liberia. On 26 April 2012 the Special Court for Sierra Leone found former Liberian President and warlord Charles Taylor guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In March 2006, however, the Liberian government requested Taylor’s extradition, and Nigeria announced that it would comply with the order. On 15 October 2013 he was transferred to British custody, and began serving his sentence at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham, England. Domestically, opposition to his government grew, culminating in the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003). [67][68] Taylor's attorneys filed a motion to have him transferred to a prison in Rwanda,[69] but in March 2015 the motion was denied and he was ordered to continue serving his sentence in the United Kingdom. [5][23] In its place, Taylor installed the Anti-Terrorist Unit, the Special Operations Division of the Liberian National Police (LNP), which he used as his own private army. As result, the possibility arose that Taylor might be arrested by Ghanaian authorities; in response, Taylor's chief bodyguard and military commander Benjamin Yeaten threatened to execute Ghanaians who lived in Liberia, deterring Ghana's government from taking action. The U.S. brought Joint Task Force Liberia's Amphibious Ready Group of three warships with 2,300 Marines into view of the coast. That year, a second Ivorian-backed rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in southern Liberia and achieved rapid successes. By early 2003, LURD had gained control of northern Liberia. Taylor's ambitions, held both during the civil war period and into his presidency, resulted not only in domestic Liberian conflict, but also to regional instability in the form of the Sierra Leone Civil War and unrest in the forest region of Guinea. Escaped from Plymouth County, and traveled to Libya. His trial came to a close in March 2011 as the judges adjourned to consider a verdict, which was not expected for several months. [50] Furthermore, Joseph "Zigzag" Marzah, a former military commander, testified that Charles Taylor celebrated his new-found status during the civil war by ordering human sacrifice, including the killings of Taylor's opponents and allies that were perceived to have betrayed Taylor, and by having a pregnant woman buried alive in sand. [32][33] The Prosecutor also said that Taylor's administration had harbored members of Al-Qaeda sought in connection with the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.[34]. This group was frequently accused of atrocities, and is thought to have been backed by the government of neighboring Guinea. [58], The verdict was announced in Leidschendam on 26 April 2012. [24] Taylor was charged with aiding and abetting RUF atrocities against civilians, which left many thousands dead or mutilated, with unknown numbers of people abducted and tortured. On 16 March 2006, a SCSL judge gave leave to amend the indictment against Taylor. Amos Sawyer alleges that Taylor's aims extended beyond Liberia—that he wanted to re-establish the country as a regional power player. As president, Taylor restructured the army, filling it with members of his former militia. [26] As president, he was known for his flamboyant style. "[7], Taylor was born in Arthington, a town near the capital of Monrovia, Liberia, on 28 January 1948, to Nelson and Yassa Zoe (Louise) Taylor. Taylor was the son of a judge, a member of the elite in Liberia descended from the freed American slaves who colonized the region in the early 19th century. The Court's decision came after the UK Supreme Court confirmed, in a historic judgment on 13 November 2019, that members of non-State armed groups may be prosecuted for crimes of torture under section 134(1) of the UK Criminal Justice Act 1988, thus legally paving the way for the case against Agnes Reeves Taylor to proceed to trial. She filed for divorce in 2005, citing her husband's exile in Nigeria and the difficulty of visiting him due to a UN travel ban on her. Conflict ensued between Taylor and the opposition, and Monrovia became the scene of widespread gun battles and looting. [77][78], Taylor also has another son, a U.S. citizen named Charles McArther Emmanuel, born to his college girlfriend. View the profiles of people named Dictator Charles Taylor. Time does fly as they say. Taylor's counsel cited the leaked cable and the court's decision as evidence of an international conspiracy against Taylor. Attorney General of Virginia Mark Earley blocked any prosecution of Robertson, as the relief supplies were also sent. Charles Taylor (1997-2003) Before Taylor - Samuel Doe was elected president - A Civil War - No peace Before Taylor Samuel Doe Member of the Krahn Tribe Favored the Krahn Tribe How did Taylor become president Presidency Plan: Become president Civil War Samuel Doe Things that went When Taylor's trial opened on 4 June 2007, Taylor boycotted the proceeding and was not present. Charles Taylor murdered on an almost industrial scale. [1] On 11 August, Taylor resigned, with Blah serving as president until a transitional government was established on 14 October. View In 1984, Charles Taylor was arrested in Massachusetts on a warrant for extradition to Liberia for allegedly embezzling nearly a million dollars from the Liberian government. Learned guerrilla warfare tactics from Muammar Gaddafi. [12] Taylor was detained in the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. Chucky Taylor, the bloodthirsty son of a former Liberian dictator, is the only American rotting in U.S. prison for torturing people abroad. Under the amended indictment, Taylor was charged with 11 counts. [72] The divorce was granted in 2006. His critics said he disregarded this prohibition. Following Doe's execution, Taylor gained control of a large portion of the country and became one of the most prominent warlords in Africa. Join Facebook to connect with Dictator Charles Taylor and others you may know. In his testimony he denied all charges against him, including conscripting child soldiers, ordering amputations and other mutilations of civilians, and illegally dealing in diamonds to fuel the 1990s conflict (so-called “blood diamonds”). Former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor goes on trial in The Hague next week, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity during the decade-long civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone. This article first published in April 2006. Charles Taylor diente als Vorlage für Andre Baptiste sr. in dem Film Lord of War – Händler des Todes. Taylor’s forces advanced on the capital of Monrovia in 1990, but his bid for power was checked by rival groups. Due to a UN embargo against arms sales to Liberia at the time, these weapons were largely purchased on the black market through arms smugglers such as Viktor Bout. [44] This legislation came in the form of the International Tribunals (Sierra Leone) Act 2007. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He returned to Liberia in 1989 as the head of a Libyan-backed rebel group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, to overthrow the Doe government, initiating the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996). Through a letter that was read by his attorney to the court, he justified his absence by alleging that at that moment he was not ensured a fair and impartial trial. By Winsley S. Nanka. Following widespread international condemnation, Taylor agreed to go into exile in Nigeria. Charles Taylor. He took the name "Ghankay" later on, possibly to please and gain favor with indigenous Liberians. Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! [6] In May 2012, Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison. All four of Taylor's fellow escapees, as well as Enid and Toweh, were later apprehended. [35] Upon his return, Taylor briefly dismissed Blah from his post, only to reinstate him a few days later. British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett stated that new legislation would be required to accommodate this arrangement. He was widely held responsible for the country’s devastating civil war during the 1990s and for crimes committed during the civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone. The subsequent investigation by the Commonwealth of Virginia concluded that Robertson diverted his ministry's donations to the Liberian diamond-mining operation. He then became the director of Liberia’s General Services Administration under Pres. He attended college in the United States, where in 1977 he received a degree in economics from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. More than one-third of the total population lived in this area. In 1985, he escaped (with the help of a sheet, according to legend, with the complicity of the CIA, say other sources) from a prison in Massachusetts in the United States, where he had been imprisoned for embezzlement. Two days later, The Boston Globe reported that they sawed through a bar covering a window in a dormitory room, after which they lowered themselves 20 feet (6.1 m) on knotted sheets and escaped into nearby woods by climbing a fence. [36], Taylor insisted that he would resign only if U.S. peacekeeping troops were deployed to Liberia. [45] While awaiting his extradition to the Netherlands, Taylor was held in a UN jail in Freetown.[46]. [57] On 11 March, the closing arguments ended and it was announced that the court would begin the process to reach a verdict. Although the election was widely reckoned as free and fair by international observers, Taylor had a huge advantage going into it. [, JUDGMENT R v Reeves Taylor (Appellant) before Lady Hale, President Lord Reed, Deputy President Lord Wilson Lord Hodge Lord Lloyd-Jones JUDGMENT GIVEN ON 13 November 2019 Heard on 24 and 25 June 2019, Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia, Economic Community of West African States, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, "Liberia: Charles Ghankay Taylor, Defiant And Passionate to the End", "In Ruined Liberia, Its Despoiler Sits Pretty", "Taylor Sierra Leone war crimes verdict welcomed", "Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years for war crimes", "Liberia: Taylor's first year report card. This was during his trial by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC] (Hrsg. [17] The civil war turned into an ethnic conflict, with seven factions among indigenous peoples and the Americo-Liberians fighting for control of Liberia's resources (especially iron ore, diamonds, timber, and rubber). The human rights abusing kleptocratic Liberian ruler, Charles G. Taylor, is setting the stage for a political showdown with exile Liberian politicians in 2003. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. On 17 March 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the newly elected President of Liberia, submitted an official request to Nigeria for Taylor's extradition. Taylor filed an appeal, but on September 26, 2013, it was rejected, and his verdict and sentencing were upheld. On 4 May 2009, a defence motion for a judgment on acquittal was dismissed, and arguments for Taylor's defence began in July 2009. [55], On 8 February 2011, the trial court ruled in a 2–1 decision that it would not accept Taylor's trial summary, as the summary had not been submitted by the 14 January deadline. He is responsible for war crimes that cost hundreds of thousands of lives in West Africa. [25], Taylor obtained spiritual and other advice from the evangelist Kilari Anand Paul. This event was one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War. The court heard the testimony of 91 witnesses called to testify against Taylor before the prosecution rested its case in February 2009. [16] By 1990, his forces controlled most of the country. [, "Taylor's Judgement Expected: Final Argument Advanced: Justice Minister Flies Back". Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born 28 January 1948) is a former Liberian politician and convicted war criminal who served as the 22nd President of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003, due to the Second Liberian Civil War and growing international pressure. During Taylor's absence for the peace talks in Ghana, the U.S. government was alleged to have urged Vice President Moses Blah to seize power. During his presidency, Taylor was alleged to have been involved directly in the Sierra Leone Civil War. The trial began in June 2007, despite Taylor’s refusal to appear in court for the opening session. Thousands were killed and tortured by Taylor’s troops, police and security forces, and the ruthless dictator was accused of backing rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone, spawning more death and destruction there. [42][43], On 15 June 2006, the British government agreed to jail Taylor in the United Kingdom in the event that he was convicted by the SCSL. Taylor was appointed to the position of Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), a position that left him in charge of purchasing for the Liberian government. 1 of 10 [5] He was found guilty in April 2012 of all eleven charges levied by the Special Court, including terror, murder and rape. He gave Robertson the rights to mine for diamonds in Liberia. Charles ruled for eight years from 1997-2003. Speculation ensued that Bush would refuse to meet with Obasanjo if Taylor were not apprehended. On 16 June 2006, the United Nations Security Council agreed unanimously to allow Taylor to be sent to Leidschendam for trial; on 20 June 2006, Taylor was extradited and flown to Rotterdam Airport in the Netherlands. That same year, Prince Johnson, a senior commander of Taylor's NPFL, broke away and formed the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). The war dragged on for seven years as new factions arose and neighbouring countries became enmeshed in the strife. [31], In June 2003, Alan White, the Prosecutor to the Special Court unsealed the indictment and announced publicly that Taylor was charged with war crimes. The group disbanded as part of the peace agreement at the end of the second civil war. [29] By the summer, Taylor's government controlled only about a third of Liberia: Monrovia and the central part of the country. He was arrested at Buchanan in Grand Bassa County,[74] allegedly while attempting to cross the border into the Ivory Coast. [11] Shortly thereafter, Taylor and two other escapees were met at nearby Jordan Hospital by Taylor's wife, Enid, and Taylor's sister-in-law, Lucia Holmes Toweh. The US Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed that Taylor first started working with US intelligence in the 1980s but refused to give details of his role or US actions, citing national security.[13][14]. [11] Taylor fought extradition with the help of a legal team led by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Three days after Nigeria announced its intent to transfer Taylor to Liberia, the leader disappeared from the seaside villa where he had been living in exile. FORMER Liberian dictator Charles Taylor was today found guilty of sponsoring a brutal civil war that left tens of thousands dead. Bush publicly called upon Taylor to resign and leave the country in order for any American involvement to be considered. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. On 7 March 2003, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) issued a sealed indictment for Taylor. After being removed for embezzlement, he eventually arrived in Libya, where he was trained as a guerrilla fighter. Nigeria stated it would not submit to Interpol's demands, agreeing to deliver Taylor to Liberia only in the event that the President of Liberia requested his return. During his time in office, Taylor cut the size of the Armed Forces of Liberia, dismissing 2,400–2,600 former personnel, many of whom were ethnic Krahn brought in by former President Doe to give advantage to his people. After…. Monrovia 2009, 7.1. [54] The defence rested its case on 12 November 2010, with closing arguments set for early February 2011. King's predecessor had pushed for the trial to be held abroad because of fear that a local trial would be politically destabilizing in an area where Taylor still had influence. He attended The Newman School in his early years. [56], On 3 March, the appeals court of the SCSL overturned the trial court's decision, ruling that as the trial court had not established that Taylor had been counseled by the court and personally indicated his intent to waive his right to a trial summary, Taylor's due process rights would be violated by preventing him from submitting a trial summary. Charles Taylor worked for U.S. intelligence agencies during his rise to become one of Africa’s most notorious dictators. Samuel K. Doe, the military leader who had gained power in a bloody coup in 1980. Gespielt wird er von Eamonn Walker. [84] However, according to allafrica.com, the two were never legally married. Dictator Charles Taylor is on Facebook. Taylor’s sentence, which was handed down on May 30, 2012, was for 50 years in prison—effectively a life sentence for the then 64-year-old. Charles Taylor’s career is ending as it began. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was scheduled to meet with President Bush less than 48 hours after Taylor was reported missing. Frick, from three U.S. Navy amphibious ships waiting off the Liberian coast. Nigeria agreed only to release Taylor and not to extradite him, as no extradition treaty existed between the two countries. In 1998, Taylor attempted to murder one of his political opponents, the former warlord Roosevelt Johnson, causing clashes in Monrovia, during and after which hundreds of Krahn were massacred and hundreds more fled Liberia. [85] She is reported to have left Liberia in 1992 before the end of the civil war and settled in the United Kingdom where she was a lecturer at Coventry University. Therefore, the Court dismissed the case. In 1997 Taylor married Jewel Taylor, with whom he has one son. [27] Upon being charged by the UN of being a gunrunner and diamond smuggler during his presidency, Taylor appeared in all-white robes and begged God for forgiveness, while denying the charges. Less than 12 hours prior to the scheduled meeting between the two heads of state, Taylor was reported apprehended en route to Liberia. [citation needed], In July 2009, Taylor claimed at his trial that US CIA agents had helped him escape from the maximum security prison in Boston in 1985. In 1983 Doe accused Taylor of having embezzled nearly $1 million, and the following year Taylor fled to the United States, where he was jailed. 22nd President of Liberia (1997-2003); convicted war criminal, "How Charles Taylor Escaped from Jail". Ghanaian President John Kufuor, South African President Thabo Mbeki, and Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, all representing African regional councils, were present at his announcement. [11], On 15 September 1985, Taylor and four other inmates escaped from the jail. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Ghankay-Taylor, Fact Monster - People - Biography of Charles Taylor, Economic Community of West African States. By Marlise Simons and Alan Cowell Advertisement [40][41], In early June 2006, the decision on whether to hold Taylor's trial in Freetown or in Leidschendam had not yet been made by the new SCSL president, George Gelaga King. In 1999, a rebellion against Taylor began in northern Liberia, led by a group calling itself Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). In July 2003, LURD initiated a siege of Monrovia, and several bloody battles were fought as Taylor's forces halted rebel attempts to capture the city. While the peace agreement had guaranteed Taylor safe exile in Nigeria, it also required that he refrain from influencing Liberian politics. He campaigned on the notorious slogan "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him. Taylor’s Uprising, Human Rights violations & War Crimes (1990–1997); 7.2. Charles Ghankay Taylor born January 28, 1948 in Arthington near Monrovia - Liberian politician, former president and dictator of Liberia, the first leader of the African state condemned by the international tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity. [9], In 1977, Taylor earned a degree at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States.[10]. [30] Earlier that year, Liberian forces had killed Sam Bockarie, a leading member of the RUF in Sierra Leone, in a shootout under Taylor's orders. Former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor had US spy agency ties Officials confirm Charles Taylor was valued source of information in early 1980s By Bryan Bender Globe Staff, January 17, 2012, 2:01 a.m. He had already taken over the former state radio station and took advantage of its access. This boycott came soon after the 2010 leak of American diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks, in which the United States discussed the possibility of extraditing Taylor for prosecution in the United States in the event of his acquittal by the SCSL.