Monrovia — As defendant Charles Taylor answers to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Liberia's Information Minister has cautioned the media in Sierra Leone and Liberia to treat Taylor as innocent until the court determines otherwise.

Liberian Information Minister Dr. Laurence K. Bropleh told about 50 Liberian and Sierra Leonean journalists that Mr. Taylor was a former head of state, and as such, the media should not be seen as propagating sentiment either for or against the accused.

The Liberian and Sierra Leonean journalists gathered at the Krystal Overview Hotel in Mamba Point to participate in a three-day media training on International Tribunals and International Criminal Proceedings organized by the Advocates for International Development (A4ID) in collaboration with the International Center for Media Studies and Development in West Africa (INCEMSADWA).

Speaking at the opening of the training which basically centered on "Reporting the Taylor Trial in a Balanced, Fair and Objective Context", Minister Bropleh said media coverage on Taylor's trial demands optimal professional and ethical standard.

"The stories you write, the interviews and questions you ask, and the analyses you provide, indeed, have seroius implications in our both countries," Bropleh noted.

He wants the media to see itself as a critical linchpin to the agenda of making post-conflict Liberia and Sierra Leone success stories.

Dr. Bropleh called on the media in both countries to devise a mechanism whereby there can be monitoring and evaluation of both media coverage during the trial in The Hague.

"We can establish an independent group to assess the performance of the coverage during the trial and its impact on the publics in Liberia and Sierra Leone," Dr. Bropleh suggested.

He observed that the media training was significant because, according to him, it will improve their knowledge and understanding of the working of international justice system.

He assured the Liberian government's committment to due process and a free and fair trial of all of its citizens including Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor stands accused of an eleven count charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, terroror, rape, sexual slavery, as well as conscripting child soldiers into armed forces, among others.

Taylor has since denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.