Nigeria Content Online

The Special Court
for Sierra Leone trying former Liberian President Charles Taylor for war
crimes on Friday dismissed a challenge to its impartiality that was
based on U.S. embassy cables published by WikiLeaks.

Mr Taylor, who
denies all charges of instigating murder, rape, mutilation, sexual
slavery and conscription of child soldiers in wars in Liberia and Sierra
Leone in which more than 250,000 were killed, had been allowed to use
the cables as evidence in court.

But on Friday the
court rejected a motion by Taylor’s lawyers seeking disclosure and an
investigation into the identity of sources that the U.S. government has
within the court’s trial chamber, prosecution and the registry. In its
filing, Mr Taylor’s defence said the cables “raise grave doubts about
the independence and impartiality of the Special Court’s prosecution of
Charles Taylor.” One of the diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks last
month contained comments made by a U.S. ambassador that if Mr Taylor was
acquitted or given a light sentence, his return to Liberia could “tip
the balance in a fragile peace.” Another cable stated that U.S. contacts
in The Hague-based court’s prosecution and registry said one of the
judges may be trying to time proceedings so as to be in charge when the
judgement was handed down.

The judge named in
the cable, Julia Sebutinde, rejected the allegation and excluded herself
from the ruling on the cables to ensure objectivity. In its ruling, the
court said the cables did not demonstrate that such contacts may have a
relationship with the U.S. government capable of interfering with its
independence or impartiality.

Officials from the
court’s registry and prosecution interact on a regular basis with
governments from a number of countries as part of their official
functions, it added. Both the prosecution and defence have already
finished presenting their evidence, but the court ruled in favour of a
defence motion seeking to re-open its case for the “limited purpose” of
admitting into evidence two U.S. cables.