Trial Monitoring

Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor Trial, Update 105

August 29, 2008
Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor Trial, Update 105
Case or Series

Taylor Trial

Case or Series

Special Court for Sierra Leone

Country

Sierra Leone

Language

English

Following the Court’s scheduled summer recess from July 21 to August 18, the trial of Charles Taylor got off to a slow start. The accused refused to appear in Court for the first two days of trial, in protest of heightened security measures imposed on Mr. Taylor at the detention facility by the Dutch prison authorities. On Wednesday, the accused appeared in Court, yet the scheduled cross-examination of witness TF1-375 could not begin because Mr. Munyard, the cross-examining Defense attorney, was out ill. Instead, the Prosecution began its examinationin-chief of witness TF1-367, with the understanding that the Court would interrupt his testimony and Mr. Munyard would resume cross-examination of TF1-375 upon recovery from his illness. Mr. Munyard returned after two days of testimony by witness TF1-367. Witness TF1-375 concluded his testimony during the second week of the reporting period. Cross-examination of Witness TF1-367 continued into the next reporting period. The Prosecution has called 35 out of a planned 72 viva voce witnesses.