>> this is "bbc world news." >> funding for this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> about to hear his fate.

liberia's former president charles stater awaits a verdict in his war crimes trial. >> in the hague at the close of this extraordinary trial, it is an important day for international justice. >> welcome to bbc world news. also coming up in the program, a huge explosion in hama. 70 syrian people were killed by shelling. the government says it was terrorists. the pakistani prime minister found guilty of contempt, but scared jail by the supreme court. rupert murdoch prepares for a second day of testimony from the u.k. inquiry into press standards.

hello and welcome. the former president of liberia, charles taylor, will hear whether he's been found guilty. is accused of fuelling sierra leone's civil war in the 1990's. this is the scene at the hague. he denies all 11 charges including murder, rape, mutilation, and the use of child soldiers. an important trial at the hague. the challenge for the court to prove that he exercised control over the revolutionary united forces in sierra leone in the 1990's even if he did not personally carry out those attacks. mark doyle is joining us from freetown, the capital of sierra leone. the scars of the conflict dating back to the 1990's are still

felt keenly there. >> absolutely. there were thousands of victims, tens of thousands of people killed as a result of the war in the 1990's. loews lost their loved ones, parents and children, are still feeling the pain. today it will be particularly acute as attention is focused on charles taylor's verdict. they are waiting to see whether it it is proven that he had command over the rebels was tactic was to sew terror. >> if he were to be acquitted, what would the reaction beat there?be >> there will be of trumbull of fear across the region, because the war which charles taylor started in liberia in the

1980's spread like wildfire, not only across sierra leone but into other countries like guinea and ivory coast. >> i have to interrupt because we will go live to the hague. charles taylor sitting there. the hearings have started. listen. >> the written judgment will be made available subsequently. by way of introduction, charles taylor was elected president of liberia in 1997 in august. june 4, 2003, his indictment by the special court and a warrant of arrest whereunsealed. august 11, 2003, he stepped down

from the presidency and went into exile in nigeria. in 2003, the accused applied to the special court to crush his indictment and set aside a warrant of arrest on the grounds that he was immune from any exercise of the jurisdiction of this court by virtue of the fact that at the time the indictment and warrant of arrest were issued, he was a sitting head of state. his application was denied by the trial chamber and the decision was upheld by the appeals chamber on may 31, 2004 on the grounds that the sovereign equality of status not prevent a head of state from being pprosecuted before an international tribunal. the appeals court held that the official position of charles taylor as an incumbent head of state at the time the criminal proceedings were initiated against him was not -- to his

prosecution by this court. on 29, march, the accused was arrested in nigeria by nigerian authorities following a request by liberian president johnson's johnson-sirleaf. then he was transferred to the authority of the special court in freetown, sierra leone, and was formally arraigned in april 2006. guilty to all counts in the indictment. because of security concerns, the accused was transferred to the hague on june 20, 2006. the armed conflict in sierra leone started in march, 1991 when the armed fighters known as the revolutionary united front -- iuf -- attacked sierra leone

from liberia. they continued the insurgency it against the government despite a peace accord in november 1996. in may 1997 in a coup, members of this year alone army overthrew the democratically elected government and invited the iuf to join its government, called the armed forces the revolutionary council -- afrc. as leader of the national patriotic front of liberia and later as president of liberia, the accused is alleged to have acted in con andcert with members of afrc and members and

former members of the other group. in that capacity, the accused is alleged to have assisted and or controlled the above mentioned warring factions in conducting armed attacks in the territory of silicone from november 30, 1996 to january 18, 2002, which is the indictment period. the attacks included terrorizing a civilian population including burning of civilian homes, murder, sexual violence, physical violence, illegal recruitment of child soldiers, abduction, and forced labor, and looting. procedural background -- the prosecution case commenced on june 4, 2007 and closed on debris 27, 2009. during the defense case, the prosecution was granted leave to

reopen its case to call 3 additional witnesses who testified in august of 2010. 94 witnesses testified for the prosecution including three expert witnesses. a total of 782 prosecution exhibits are admitted into evidence, including 5 expert reports. the defense opened its case on july 13, 2009 and closed on november 12, 2010, having called 21 witnesses, including the accused, who testified for seven months from july 14 to 2009 until february 18, 2010. a total of 740 defense exhibits were admitted into evidence. the prosecution closing arguments were heard on the

eighth and ninth of february, 2011. defense closing arguments weren't on the ninth and 10th of march, 2011. oral responses by both parties were heard on the 11th of march, 2011. after 420 trial day is over the course of three years and 10 months of the case was, formally closed on 11, march, 2011. a total of 115 witnesses testified. 1522 exhibits were admitted into evidence. 49,622 pages of trial records were transcribed. 281 written into local tory decisions were issued by the trial chamber. summary of the charges, the accused is charged with 11 counts under the indictment. five of these counts charged the

accused with crimes against punishable under article 2 of the statute, in particular, murder, count2. rape, 4. sexual slavery,5. other inhumane acts, 8. and others. and acts of terrorism, count one. violence to life, health, and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular murder, counts three. outrages upon personal dignity, counts six. violence to life, health, and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular, crew particular count seven.

and pillage, count 11. the remaining counts charges it used with conscripting or missing children under the age of 15 into the armed forces or groups or using them to participate actively in hostilities, count nine. a serious violation of international humanitarian law punishable under article 4 of the statute. the indictment charges that the accused is individually criminally responsible under wrote articles 6.1 and 6.3 of the statute for the plant referred to above. the accused pleaded not guilty to each of the counts charged in the indictment. summary of the defense case, the defense accept that crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed during committed duringperiod in the course of the armed conflict in sierra leone, but denies that the

accused is responsible. the defense admits that the burden of proof is upon the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the crimes were actually committed, that the crimes fulfilled all the legal requirements of articles 2, 3, 4 of the statute. and that there is a connection between the alleged crimes and the accused. as part of its case, the defense maintained that the accused, through his diplomatic efforts, and a substantial role in fostering peace and security in sierra leone and his contribution to the peace process was significant and that is prosecution has from the outset been " selective and vindictive in nature on the basis of illegal motives and interests." the defense also challenged the credibility of prosecution evidence. the trial chamber has

considered a number of preliminary issues in its written judgment including the issue of selective prosecution and a number of fair trial issues raised by the defense. with regard to the issue of selective prosecution, the trial chamber it finds that the accused was not singled out for selective prosecution. summary of the findings on crimes committed, the trial chamber finds that the requirements in respect to the crimes against humanity, violations of article 3, and to the geneva conventions and additional protocol 2 and other serious violations of international humanitarian law charged in the indictment have been approved by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt. the trial chamber has examined the evidence presented in the alliancerto

and liberian fighters allegedly sierrated in msera leone through 1992. the crimes charged in count one through 11 were committed. the findings on each of these crimes will be summarized in turn. murder, a crime against humanity punishable under article 2a of the statute. count two, violence to life, health, and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular murder. violation of article 3, common to the geneva convention and of additional protocol 2, punishable under article 3a of the statute, count three. the trial chamber finds that to the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that members of the 3 groups murdered

civilians in various locations in the following districts of sierra leone. kenema district between may 25, 1997 and about march 31, 1998. in kono district between february 1998 and about 31 january, 2000. in freetown in the western area of between about december 21, 1998 and february 28, 1999. kailahoon district, 1998 through june, 1998. rape, a crime against humanity, count for, the trial

chamber finds that the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that members of the three groups committed widespread acts of rape against women and girls in various locations in the following districts of sierra leone. kono between first and december 31 but, 1998. freetown in the western area between december 21, 1998 and about 28 february in 1999. kailahoon district in 1998 and 1999, women and girls were raped in various locations which were not charged in the indictment. the tiled chamber makes no finding of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in the written judgment.

sexual slavery, a crime against humanity punishable under article 2g of the statute, count five. the trial chamber finds the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that between about november 30, 1996 and about january 18, 2002 members of the 3 groups committed widespread acts of sexual slavery against civilian women and girls in sierra leone in various locations in the following districts of sierra leone. kono district between about february 1, 1998 and about december 31, 1998. kahilahoon district in 1998 and 1999. in freetown in the western area between about december 21, 1998 and about february 28, 1999.

outrages upon personal dignity, a violation of article 3, and to the and geneva conventions and additional protocol 2. punishable under article 3e of the statute, counts six. the trial chamber finds that the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that members of the three groups committed widespread acts of outrages upon the personal dignity of civilian women and girls by acts such as forcing them to undress in public and by raping them and committing other acts of sexual abuse, sometimes in full view of the public and in full view of family members in various locations in the following districts of sierra leone. kono district kono district1

stanberry 1998 and about december 31, 1998. freetown in the western area between about december 21, 1998 and about february 28, 1999. kaihlahoon in 1998 and 1999, out rages on personal dignity were committed against women and girls in various locations if not charged in the indictment. the trial chamber makes no finding of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in a written judgment. violence to life, health, and physical or mental well-being of persons in particular quarrel treatment, a violation of article 3, and to the geneva convention and of additional protocol 2, punishable under article 3a of the statute, counts seven. other inhumane acts, a crime against humanity punishable under article 2i of the statute,

counts eight. the trial chamber finds that the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt if that members of the three groups committed widespread acts of physical violence against civilians in various locations in the following districts of sierra leone. kono district kono1 february 1998 and about december 31, 1998. civilians were forced to endure through treatment including having words carved into their bodies and amputations of limbs. kailahoon district, crimes of physical violence were committed in areas not charged in the indictment. the trial chamber makes no finding of guilt for these crimes for reasons fully set out in the written judgment.

in freetown in the western area between about 21 december and about february 28, 1999 civilians were subjected to cruel treatment including amputation of limbs. conscripting or enlisting child soldiers into the armed forces or using them in hostilities and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, punishable under article 4c of the statute, count nine. the trial chamber finds the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that between about november 30, 1996 and about january 18, 2002, members of the three groups conscripted and unlisted children under the age of 15 into their armed groups and used them to participate actively in the

hostilities in the following districts of sierra leone. konkililee district, children were abducted and constructed in the hills from early 1996 until may 1997. 501 cows and children had the letter is carved into toir forehead or back prevent them from escaping. -- between 500 and 1000 children. in kono district during the indictment period, children were conscripted into the groups at various locations and were used

to participate actively in hostilities and to amputate limbs, guard diamond mines, go on fighting missions as bodyguards, to man checkpoints, and in armed combat. bombali district, children were conscripted between 1998 and 2000. they underwent military training at various locations and also participated actively in hostilities. port loco district between january 1999 and april and may of 1999 a child under the age of 15 was abducted, conscripted the afrc and used in hostilities in mashaca. and children under the age of 15

were used as armed guards in mining sites in another area. in another district, in march and may of 1998, children under the age of 15 were used to participate actively in hostilities and at least one child under the age of 15 was used to fight against a group. in freetown in the western area, children under the age of 15 were used to participate actively in hostilities in veng uema in 1999. during the freetown attack in january 1999 as well. enslavement, crime against humanity, punishable under article 2c of the statute, count 10. the trial chamber finds that the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that between 30 and november 1996 and about january 18, 2002, members of the

three groups intentionally exercised powers of ownership over civilians by depriving them of their freedom and forcing them to work, thus committing the crime of enslavement in various locations of the following districts of sierra leone. kenema district between july 1, 1997 and about forever 2181998 and civilians were abducted and forced to mine for diamonds. kono district 1998 and 1990 kono were used to carry loads, go on food finding missions, undergo military training, and work in the diamond mines. kailahon district in 1996

through july 2000 -- >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was

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