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Liberia truth commission to call for creation of war crimes court

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) member John Stewart said Saturday that the commission will recommend the creation of a special tribunal to hear cases against those suspected of war crimes during the the country's 1989-2003 civil war. The TRC, which was established by the peace accord that ended the 14-year civil war, was created to document the war and investigate human rights violations, but has been criticized for lacking the authority to hold violators accountable. Last week, the TRC began its final stage of taking public testimony from war crimes victims and suspects. The hearings will resume on Monday, with a special session dedicated to victims with special needs and other vulnerable groups. The TRC is scheduled to conclude its work by June 2009. The TRC held its first public session  in January 2008. It began its work in October 2006, but later stalled in June 2007 for lack of funding. Earlier this month, the son of former Liberian president Charles Taylor  was sentenced last week to a 97-year jail term in the US by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida for committing torture in Liberia. Charles Arthur Emmanuel, was found guilty by a jury in October 2008 on charges that he was the head of a paramilitary group which tortured and killed opponents during the presidency of Emmanuel's father.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 18, 2009 (boomark / email).