Taylor trial unique but sends key signal on impunity

By Alexandra Hudson - Analysis

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Charles Taylor's war crimes trial has recovered from a shaky start to become a model for bringing a former ruler before an international court and has helped send a message that the days of impunity are over.

The relatively smooth running of the former Liberian president's trial, on charges of inciting murder, rape and terror, has been in marked contrast to the delays and theatrics at trials for former Yugoslav and Iraqi leaders.

Although the mandate of the court trying Taylor, who has pleaded not guilty, is limited to crimes committed in Sierra Leone, the U.N.-backed Special Court serves as an example to other tribunals that might try former rulers such as the International Criminal Court.

"There is substantial progress in this crucially important trial ... both from a structural assessment and an impact assessment," said Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch.

The ex-Liberian president is the first former African head of state to stand trial in front of any court.

"Taylor is notorious in West Africa and without trying Taylor the feeling was this court would have failed," she said.

"The fact he is sitting there, that there is real momentum, and that invaluable information is being put forward coupled with disturbing detail of the atrocities, is already a huge contribution to international justice," she said.

The U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up to try those with the greatest responsibility for war crimes in the country. More than 250,000 people died in intertwined wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, characterized by brutal attacks on civilians, drug-crazed child soldiers and amputations of limbs.

"It would be unrealistic to expect that we could create ad-hoc tribunals to investigate every situation," said Andre de Hoogh, an international law specialist at Groningen University.

It was also unlikely long-seated African leaders could find themselves suddenly on trial for past rights abuses, he added.

However, several African countries had ratified the statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), set up in 2002 in The Hague as the world's first permanent court to try individuals for war crimes.

"Its jurisdiction does not work retroactively, but for conflicts from 2003 onwards we could see the possibility of it calling leaders to account."

The court has had mixed success. It is preparing the trials of three Congolese rebel leaders, but arrest warrants for two Sudanese suspects -- including a former minister accused over war crimes in Darfur -- have been ignored. So have those for Ugandan rebel leaders.

COURT MOMENTUM

Since Taylor's trial began in earnest five months ago, all parties including him, have sought to keep disputes to a minimum, unlike in other major war crimes trials.  Continued...