Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor and CDF Trials, Update 75a

Taylor and CDF Trials

Special Court for Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

English

Charles Taylor

The initial appearance of former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor took place on Monday, 3 April, 2006. The Principal Defender’s decision to provisionally assign Mr. Karim Asad Ahmad Khan as Taylor’s counsel was subsequently issued on Wednesday, 5 April, 2006. On Thursday, 6 April Mr. Khan filed an urgent motion before Trial Chamber II requesting that no change of venue from the seat of the Court in Freetown be ordered before the Defence had filed further submissions. He further asked the Chamber to urge the President of the Special Court to withdraw the requests he had reportedly made to both the government of the Netherlands and the President of the ICC to permit Taylor’s trial to be conducted at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Trial Chamber I

The RUF trial continued before Trial Chamber I (3-6 April, 2006). On Wednesday, 5 April, 2006 a status conference for the CDF trial was held. The Chamber issued its decision on the Principal Defender’s motion against the installation of surveillance cameras in the Detention Facility on Thursday, 6 April, 2006, following the decision issued by Trial Chamber II regarding the same matter the previous Monday. Trial Chamber II

Trial Chamber II
On Monday, 3 April, 2006, Trial Chamber II issued its decision on the Principal Defender’s motion against the installation of surveillance cameras the Detention Facility. A status conference for the ARFC trial was held on Tuesday, 4 April 2006. The Special Court is in judicial Recess from Friday, 7 April until Monday, 24 April, 2006