Freetown — Special Court for Sierra Leone yesterday sentenced former leaders of the Revolutionary United Front, RUF Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao to 52, 40 and 25 years respectively.

But the 52 year sentence slammed on the first accused Issa Sesay turned out to be the highest ever handed down by the UN backed hybrid court.

His lawyer Wayne Jordash described the decision as the most unfair result of a trial that was also unfair in the history of international tribunal.

"The trial chamber did not do their job properly from the beginning to the end of the trial," he said adding "The chamber abandoned legal principles and the notion of fairness. We are not surprised about the outcome of the trial. We are going to appeal in every charge of the indictment."

Kallon's lead defense counsel, Charles Taku said the judgment by the chamber was a mockery to international justice.

"The judgment can satisfy political will but it does not meet international standards. "We think the whole trial was more about politics instead of law and justice," he said.

The three were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's decade-long civil war.

Sesay and Kallon were each found guilty of 16 counts of the indictment whilst Gbao was found guilty on 14 counts.

Presiding judge Justice Pierre Boutet said aggravating and mitigating effects were both dealt with separately, adding, "We give consideration to the nature and physical impact of the crimes including their scale."

He said the gravity of Sesay's crimes and conduct reaches the highest level, noting that Sesay and Kallon contributed significantly to the joint criminal enterprise.

"Civilians had been shot and killed. They were made to choose between their lives or those of their family members," he said.

The men received separate sentences for each of the crimes. Justice Boutet said the sentences would be served concurrently and that time spent in detention by the three men would be considered. Sesay's sentence is the longest ever handed out by the Special Court.

Special Court prosecutor Stephen Rapp welcomed the sentencing judgment of the three leaders of the RUF.

He said the sentences recognize the gravity of the terrible atrocities for which the three men have been held responsible, adding, "Most importantly they honour the victims who suffered because of the acts and decisions of these individuals."

"The judgment of the trial chamber has helped re-established justice and the rule of law in Sierra Leone, without which lasting peace and development is not possible," he said.

Meanwhile, John Cammegh, lead counsel for Gbao, also expressed his disappointment with the sentences, saying his client was "convicted and sentenced without having been found to have fired a single shot or have ordered a single shot."

He said they were optimistic about the appeal, noting that Justice Boutet's dissension was unusual in international criminal law, and that Gbao was "found basically not guilty of 90 per cent of the allegations against him."

Appeals must be filed within two weeks. The appeals process is expected to finish in September or October of this year.