From the Court Chamber to the Court of Public Opinion – facilitating local media coverage of the trial of Charles Taylor
The BBC World Service Trust (BBCWST) is implementing a two-pronged project. It is developing, deploying and supporting a team of Liberian and Sierra Leonean reporters to cover the court proceedings from The Hague, as it works with media outlets across Liberia and Sierra Leone to develop and produce their own locally-appropriate programming.
Since the trial’s debut in June 2007, each team has filed daily correspondence-style reports from the court chambers to partner radio stations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Off the back of these reports, project staff in country have worked to produce a weekly 30-minute radio programme for broadcast throughout the two countries. Team members have also provided sustained on-the-job training and mentoring (backed up by equipment donations) to more than 30 radio stations. Furthermore, these stations, and others in the project’s distribution network, produce their own programming around key transitional justice and development issues arising from the case, primarily in the area of civic education.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (November 9 - 13, 2009)
Charles Taylor and his Defence team have repeated and still insist that the prosecution of the Former Liberian President is political and racist. Mr Taylor has been questioned on the source of series of documents, one of them he called a Dutch intelligent report on his role in the Sierra Leone war.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (November 2 - 6, 2009)
Charles Taylor responded to series of international Press reports linking him to the RUF war in Sierra Leone. According to him, the reports by Former Washington Post Correspondent, Douglas Farah and the BBC World Affairs Correspondent, Mark Doyle were part of western ploy to destroy him.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (October 26 - 29, 2009)
A number of prosecution witnesses have alleged that Bockarie was killed because he knew too much about links between Charles Taylor and the RUF rebels. Charles Taylor has again rejected allegations that he controlled key figures behind the civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (September 14 - 17, 2009)
This week the Special Court heard that the major war plans for the capture of important diamond towns, including Freetown, came from Mr. Charles Taylor.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (September 7 - 11, 2009)
To avoid being replaced, Charles Taylor’s ailing Lead Defence Lawyer returned to court on Monday morning. In its indictment, the Prosecution accused Mr. Taylor and the RUF of committing Acts of Terrorism in Sierra Leone.
Resignation of SCSL Chief Prosecutor
Mr Stephen Rapp, the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), has resigned after three years working for the part international, part Sierra Leonean court.