A federal court in the United States has ordered the son of former Liberian president Charles Taylor to pay more than US$22 million in damages to five people tortured by his paramilitary unit during Liberia's civil war, according to news reports.
Charles McArthur Emmanuel, also known as Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr. denied he was responsible.
"This notion that I'm this human rights abuser, this poster boy for human rights abuse, is deceptive and propaganda," the Associated Press quoted him as saying when the civil trial ended last week.
The victims said they were submerged in water, shocked on their genitals and suffered other abuses.
The Friday ruling will "serve as a deterrent to others who believe they could mistreat fellow humans in this manner and never be held accountable," the AP quoted attorney Piper Hendricks as saying. Hendricks, an attorney with Human Rights USA, represented the Liberians along with Troy Elder, a law professor at Florida International University. His law students did research in the case.
Taylor Jr. was sentenced a year ago by the same court in the U.S. state of Florida to 97 years in prison for abuses carried out by his paramilitary Anti-Terrorist Unit. It was the first time a U.S. court convicted a person of committing human rights abuses outside the United States. Taylor Jr. is a U.S. citizen.
His father, Charles Taylor, is currently on trial in The Hague for war crimes in connection with the civil war in Sierra Leone in the 1990s.
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This US so-called 'justice' is a joke!
How much is bush-change charged for mass murdering hundreds of thousands of INNOCENT Iraqi children, women, old people etc?
The fact about Liberia is that it was the wicked US 'REGIME CHANGERS' who were MOST RESPONSIBLE plunging Liberians into the savagery of self-destructiveness!
Now the American devils delude themselves and want to give the impression that they can ever be in a position to actually dispense 'justice'? Ha!
The wise ARE NOT fooled! The ways of the historical wickedness of whites against African people are well known!
Sirleaf and the Taylor lot are TOOLS of US 'regime changers'; so too was the Devil Doe!
They are ALL responsible for destroying African peoples in and around Liberia!
Excuse me Mr. Omugabe, What is your problem with former president George W. Bush? Do you have any proof to submit to the court of law that Bush tortured innocent Iraqis? Proof your point. The U.S Embassey is right there with you. Go and submit your accusation to the U.S.Government, the United Nations, and the Human Rights Organizations. I believed you are one of Taylor's inner circle during his brutal Civil wars against the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone. No sins go unpunished, justice must take its course. The time has come for judgment against those murderers. Your seat must be getting hot under you that is why you are crying. White people do not hate Africans, it is Africans who do not love each other. So, just stop blaming the white people. The father and son must pay the prices for their wickedness.
handj2be, Omugabe has the same amount of proof to submit to a court of law that Bush tortured innocent Iraqis, as you do that Taylor tortured innocent Sierra Leone.
Well all I can say to the so called victims is that you have a very long time to wait before you see one penny.
my brother,the victims got no problem waiting to be compensated even up to 20yrs but the fact that the court has reconised the many wickness taylor and his son carry out against innocent liberian have proved that there is justic in the world.the decision of the court is not only about money but it is a victory to every victims liberian anywehre in the world.brovo to america,brovo to icc and bravo to all peaceful liberian.let heaven bring peace unto us once again and never our children witness the pains of sorrow ever in our country history.
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