Photo stories: Charles Taylor

In The Hague on Thursday, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) handed down a guilty verdict against former Liberian President Charles Taylor for planning, aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial began in June 2007. Photo: AP Pool/P. Dejong

Mr. Taylor (seated centre, back row) was on trial on 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including pillage, slavery for forced marriage purposes, collective punishment and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Photo: AP Pool/P. Dejong

The charges relate to Mr. Taylor’s alleged support for two rebel groups – the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the Revolutionary United Front – during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war, in which tens of thousands of people were maimed and killed, and even more people were displaced.

Children were frequently forced to take part in the violence during the civil war, with girls and boys often mutilated or forced to cut off people’s limbs. Here, players from the Single Leg Amputee Sports Club Sierra Leone – which helps with trauma recovery for war amputees – face off in a match in Freetown. UN/E. Debebe

The conflict in Sierra Leone led to the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in 1999 to help implement a peace agreement and to assist with disarmament, demobilization and reintegration plan. The mission completed its mandate in 2005 and was succeeded by the UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone. Here, orphaned and homeless children in Lungi beg for money and food from departing peacekeepers. UN/E. Kanalstein

Inside a cell at the SCSL. The Court was set up jointly by the Sierra Leonean Government and the UN in 2002, with the mandate of trying those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and national law committed on Sierra Leonean territory since the end of November 1996. UN/M. Garten

UN peacekeepers arrested Charles Taylor in Monrovia in 2006. He was immediately transferred to the SCSL in the country’s capital, Freetown. UN/M. Elavanalthoduka

While the SCSL is headquartered in Freetown, the Security Council approved the transfer of the trial to a chamber of the Court sitting in The Hague for security reasons. UN/R. Brown

Describing the judgment as a significant milestone for international criminal justice, a spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN chief’s thoughts today are with the victims of the crimes for which Charles Taylor has been found guilty. Here, accompanied by President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, Mr. Ban visits the SCSL. UN/E. Debebe

Following today’s judgment both parties will make submissions on sentencing, which is expected to be pronounced in the near future. The final stage in the case will be the appeals phase. Photo: AP Pool/P. Dejong