Africa News
Charles Taylor court denies request to reopen defense case
Feb 10, 2012, 15:42 GMT
Dakar - A UN-backed war crimes court in The Hague on Friday denied a request to reopen the defence case of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor.
Taylor is awaiting a verdict in a trial for war crimes allegedly committed in Sierra Leone.
His lawyers had asked the Special Court for Sierra Leone to reopen the case in order to admit parts of a 2011 UN report on Liberia.
The report focuses on the activities of Liberian mercenaries who crossed into Ivory Coast during the 2011 Ivorian conflict.
Taylor's defence team had argued that the report proves that Liberian fighters can participate in the wars of neighbouring countries without heeding higher commands.
Taylor is accused of planning, instigating and ordering war crimes committed in Sierra Leone during his time as president of Liberia.
A verdict in the trial is expected by April.
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