From the Court Chamber to the Court of Public Opinion – facilitating local media coverage of the trial of Charles Taylor
The BBC World Service Trust (BBCWST) is implementing a two-pronged project. It is developing, deploying and supporting a team of Liberian and Sierra Leonean reporters to cover the court proceedings from The Hague, as it works with media outlets across Liberia and Sierra Leone to develop and produce their own locally-appropriate programming.
Since the trial’s debut in June 2007, each team has filed daily correspondence-style reports from the court chambers to partner radio stations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Off the back of these reports, project staff in country have worked to produce a weekly 30-minute radio programme for broadcast throughout the two countries. Team members have also provided sustained on-the-job training and mentoring (backed up by equipment donations) to more than 30 radio stations. Furthermore, these stations, and others in the project’s distribution network, produce their own programming around key transitional justice and development issues arising from the case, primarily in the area of civic education.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (August 31 - September 4, 2009)
Illness has once again struck the war crimes trial of Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor. The court ruled on Wednesday that the Defence Team must find a substitute for its ailing Lead Lawyer if he is not available in court by next week.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (August 24 - 28, 2009)
At the sixth week of his testimonies on direct examination, Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor says the 2000 UN Expert Panel Report was biased against Liberia
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (August 17 - 21, 2009)
Mr. Taylor is still testifying as a potential witness in his own defence. He said that the re-location of Former RUF Leader, Sam Bockarie to Liberia was not his personal decision, despite evidence to the contrary. However, he did admit that he traded with ECOMOG during his rebel war in Liberia.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (August 10 - 14, 2009)
Charles Taylor disclaimed any responsibility for the onslaught on Freetown which killed thousands on January 6, 1999. He then recounted steps taken by his government to restore peace to war-torn Sierra Leone.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (August 3 - 7, 2009)
An enquiry began into a Monrovia fracas which killed four members of the Liberian Roosevelt Johnson faction (ULIMO-J) and wounded two U.S Embassy personnel. Lead Defence lawyer Courtney Griffiths was absent from the trial due to suspected food poisionning.
Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (July 27 - 31, 2009)
Charles Taylor's Defence Team argued that their client had no cause to exploit Sierra Leone’s diamonds. Taylor has once again told the court that he is not a Terrorist and he swore that he did not meet RUF Leader, Sam Bockarie in Gbarnga.