Liberia: Taylor's Trial Faces Hitches

By the time the former president of Liberia, Charles G. Taylor, landed at the UN-backed Special War Crimes Court in Freetown, there was no doubt in the minds of observers that he would be given fair and speedy trial. Investigation shows that the unanimity was based on assumptions that the Special Court had collected enough prima facie evidences against Mr. Taylor since he was indicted in May 2003. But that assumption seems to no longer hold any water-- the issues of trial venue and the legal technicalities regarding transfer of jurisdiction and the provision of support funds are currently in hot contention. The Analyst Staff Writer leafed through the contentions and weighed the implications of all this for a case that many expect will set precedence against impunity in Africa.

Two human rights organizations of global repute have set conditions for the security of justice in the Taylor trial, prompting observers to presage hurdles or hitches in the process.

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