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Son of Liberian Dictator Indicted for Torture in the U.S.
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ShareDecember 07, 2006 9:38 AM
Charles Emmanuel "Chuckie" Taylor, son of former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor (pictured to the left), is the first American ever to be charged with committing torture abroad.
He's accused of helping his father during the 14-year civil war that left more than 200,000 dead. Chuckie joined his father in Liberia once he assumed the Presidency in 1997.
Human rights groups say the American-born and raised son has followed in his father's footsteps, allegedly employing child soldiers, torturing victims and cutting off the arms and legs of men, women and children.
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As a U.S. citizen, he can be tried for human rights violations and war crimes under U.S. jurisdiction, even if the acts alleged were perpetrated abroad. If convicted, Chuckie Taylor could face up to life in prison.
"This is a really major step in the U.S. government ensuring justice for torture," says Elise Keppler, a lawyer for Human Rights Watch who's been working on the case. "It's a significant precedent in the U.S. for future cases brought by the U.S. government for torture
committed abroad."
Click Here for the Brian Ross Investigative Homepage.
Taylor was already in custody facing charges of passport fraud for allegedly lying about his father's name on his passport. Prosecutors are reportedly asking for a two-year prison sentence if convicted of those charges. He has pled not guilty
Meanwhile, his father Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, has been moved to the U.N.-backed Special Court of Sierra Leone (SCSL), which will convene at The Hague in the
Netherlands.
The court will address Taylor's role in the civil war in Sierra Leone, which ran parallel to the conflict in Liberia. He is accused of inciting that war in an effort to destabilize Sierra Leone, thus drawing U.N. attention away from his activities in Liberia.
The U.S. "actively pressed" for Taylor's surrender to the U.N.-backed war crimes commission, says Keppler. "This administration has shown a major commitment for justice for serious crimes committed in West Africa," which could explain why the Justice Department decided to
charge the younger Taylor, she says.
"After the civil war, the Liberian justice system isn't in the position to deal with these kinds of cases," says Keppler. "It's really important for victims in Liberia."
No arraignment date has been set and calls to Charles "Chuckie" Taylor's lawyer were not returned.
December 7, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (14)
BURN THIS GUY, CUT OFF HIS ARMS AND LEGS AND LET HIM GO.
Posted by: Matthew O'Donald | Dec 7, 2006 10:18:53 AM
"It's a significant precedent in the U.S. for future cases brought by the U.S. government for torture
committed abroad."
I guess torture is only acceptable in Syria, Egypt, Cuba, Iraq and secret European prisons, if the US is behind it.
Oh the Hypocrisy of our democracy.
Posted by: BEH | Dec 7, 2006 12:55:42 PM
There must be a position in the Bush administation somewhere for him.
Posted by: GK | Dec 7, 2006 3:36:30 PM
send him to Iraq to walk point. free room and board is too good for this pond scum
Posted by: carlos | Dec 7, 2006 3:50:26 PM
Read the title of the article:
indicted for torture in the US...
he didn't torture in the US he was indicted in the US for torture...
Posted by: Elizabeth | Dec 7, 2006 4:06:26 PM
BEH writes that torture is acceptable if the US is behind it, presuming that the US is behind torture or what has been hyped as torture previously, as in secret European prisons, was torture.
would BEH prefer we not denounce any torture or just the torture BEH deems inappropriate?
Posted by: ehoberge | Dec 7, 2006 4:08:55 PM
As an Liberian, this does nothing to heal the wounds that this man and his father has done to my country. Taking his life, limbs or putting him in jail does nothing to bring back all the people I've lost all the memories I carried with me about my home country, all it does is caln the nerves of the world who sat by and let Africans do this to each other and did nothing. The actions of the American gov't to date is nothing but a ploy to make the world seem like they are spear heading this campaign. It sickens me that for 14 years America never once gave a helping hand to Liberia. It was America that funded the Taylor movement in Africa and allowed his 14 year mental psychosis he called a war to free his people. As far as I am concerned death or life in prison are too good for him and his son. America I hope that you can sleep at night knowing what you did.
Posted by: tupee | Dec 8, 2006 11:48:05 AM
He should have stuck to Waterboarding and stress positions!
Posted by: Aaron C | Dec 8, 2006 12:41:27 PM
Aaron C, I bet his victims wish he did just that.
Tupee, reread that phrase, "sat by and let Africans do this to each other." I thought the world doesn't want the U.S. to be the world's police? Which is it?
Posted by: Cato | Dec 8, 2006 2:36:49 PM
Making someone listen to The Red Hot Chili Peppers at high volumes or keeping them awake for 72 hours is not torture.
Cutting off kid's and women's arms and legs is. Please, BEH and GK, you must be able to differentiate between the two. My 6 year old son can tell the difference. If not, you may be two of the most idiotic humans on Earth.
Have a nice day. And think before spouting such moronic garbage.
Posted by: Dickie | Dec 8, 2006 2:50:44 PM
With any luck, Chuckie will send out an e-mail to some rich, middle-class american telling him how he needs to illegally smuggle the wealth his dictator father amassed by employing child soldiers, torturing victims and cutting off the arms and legs of men, women and children to the U.S.
While Chuckie is obviously a murderer, the American, salivating over the prospect of an unearned, illegal, murder-derived windfall of millions of dollars will, under cover of his basement office, send funds to "the dictator's son."
After he loses all his money, he will subsequently be made to look like a sympathetic victim on the 20/20 show where he will be given the opportunity to weep about how his "trust was betrayed."
Posted by: Nigerian-American | Dec 10, 2006 8:41:02 PM
Chuckie should only be taught that life isn't all about afluence and influence, it's majorly about characters. He should be taken for an intense rehab for that. Cheers!
Posted by: Ekoorjo | Dec 11, 2006 11:51:36 AM
leave charler taylor alone he has nothing to do with people hands and legs been cut in freetown. the people serria lone are responsable for their own war as compare to liberians.
Posted by: richard carter | Jan 20, 2008 12:57:05 AM
Water boarding (which doesn't harm the person) and cutting arms off and removing unborn children out of pregnant women's stomach is much different. This Man "really" tortured inoccent people. Send him back to Liberia handuffed....to wander the streets. He won't last 10 mins.
Posted by: John Oconnor | Apr 22, 2008 5:57:39 PM
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