By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A high court in Belgum ruled on Thursday that Martina Johnson, one of the most powerful women of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front for Liberia, should stand trial for crimes she’s accused of committing during Liberia’s first civil war between 1989 and 1996. The decision by…
War Crimes Trial Reporting
Defense Lawyers Claim Statute of Limitations Means Rebel Cannot be Tried For 1993 War Crimes
Defense lawyers representing former Liberian rebel commander, Kunti Kamara, are claiming that the statute of limitations means Kamara cannot be tried for 1993 War Crimes. According to them, it has been more than ten years from the time the crimes for which Kamara is accused were committed in Liberia, arguing, that it should be heard…
ECOWAS Court Postpones Historic Hearing of Lutheran Church Massacre Case After Liberian Gov. Asked for More Time To “Prepare”
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA – A historic trial between survivors of the infamous St. Peter’s Church massacre and the Liberian government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, has again been postponed after the Liberian government asked for more time to prepare for the case. This is third the…
Advocates Ask US Congressional Committee For Funding For War & Economic Crimes Courts as Dispute Spills into Open
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Liberian human rights advocates have told a US Congressional committee that it is crucial that the US government take the lead in funding war and economic crimes courts for Liberia. The advocates, including Dr. Alan White, a former chief investigator of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, Elizabeth Evenson,…
After a Mysterious Press Release and Bad Start for The Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts, Advocates Demand a Reset
Leading human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe has condemned the process for selection of the head of the Office for the War and Economics Crimes courts By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—After a bad start to the launch of the Office for the War and Economics Crimes courts human rights advocates are demanding President…
Government Asks ECOWAS Court to Dismiss Lutheran Massacre Case
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives In a hearing at the Ecowas Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, the Liberian government has asked the court to dismiss a $US1.5 million lawsuit accusing it of dereliction of duty by not investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church massacre in Monrovia, committed by…
UN Receives Boakai’s Letter Requesting War and Economic Crimes Courts Support as Major Donors Express Concern Over Process for Appointment of Courts Chief
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Monrovia – President Joseph Boakai has taken the first step in inviting international support for the establishment of Liberia’s War and Economic Crimes Courts by sending a letter to António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, requesting financial and technical assistance for the courts. Requesting UN support is a crucial…
Finland Awards More Than $US426,000 in Compensation to Acquitted Sierra Leonean Warlord Massaquoi
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Finnish government has awarded €390,000 ($US426,00) in compensation to Gibril Massaquoi, the former Sierra Leonean rebel leader acquitted in January of war crimes and crimes against humanity prosecutors said he committed during Liberia’s second civil war between 1999-2003. The payment covers Mr. Massaquoi’s loss of liberty and income during the…
Human Rights Activists Welcome Orator’s Criticism of War Crimes Court Office Appointment
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia— Leading advocates of war time justice for Liberia have welcomed criticism by Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey, in this year’s Independence Day oration, of the process to appoint Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as executive director of the War and Economic Crimes Courts Office. Dr. Pailey called on President Boakai to…
President Boakai Withdraws Appointment of War and Economics Crimes Office Head After Widespread Condemnation from Human Rights Groups and Lawyers
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—President Joseph Boakai has withdrawn his appointment of Liberian lawyer, Jonathan Massaquoi to head the newly constituted Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts following nearly two months of public condemnation from almost all leading victims and human rights advocates and the umbrella body for lawyers in the…
At U.N. Liberian Government Seeks Endorsement of War and Economic Crimes Courts; Commits to Government Apology and Reparations
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Liberian government sought the endorsement of its war and economic crimes courts from the United Nations in a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting comes three months after President Joseph Boakai quietly sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary General, asking for technical and financial support for the courts. Though the…
Martina Johnson, Warlord Charles Taylor Ally, Likely to Face Trial in Belgium
Summary: By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Martina Johnson, one of the most powerful commanders of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front for Liberia (NPFL) rebel group, is expected to go on trial in Belgium next year for atrocities allegedly committed during Liberia’s first civil war. A court is considering evidence gathered during…
Former LURD General “K1” Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years Prison After Pleading Guilty to War-Related Crimes in U.S.
By Jake Duffy with New Narratives PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Laye Sekou Camara, known by the war names “K-1” or “Dragon master”, a former commander of the Lurd rebel group, was taken into custody Thursday after being sentenced by a federal court to 57 months in prison for lying in U.S. immigration proceedings about his role…
Warlord Claims War Crimes Court Will “Dismantle” Peace as Victims Take Center Stage at Peace Commemorations
As Liberia marks 21 years of peace, victims demand justice through war crimes courts. Former warlords resist, warning of instability, while international backers and activists call for accountability, healing, and reform….
Witnesses Accuse Lurd Rebel of Dozens of Murders, Torture, Rape and Child Soldiers in Sentencing Hearing in Philadelphia
Witnesses in Philadelphia accuse ex-LURD commander Camara of mass killings, torture, and child soldier use. Testimonies recount horrific scenes as victims seek justice decades after Liberia’s brutal civil war….
Victims to Testify in US Sentencing Hearing as Lurd Rebel Faces 40 Years Prison
Former LURD rebel Laye Sekou Camara faces sentencing in the U.S. as 17 Liberian victims testify. His guilty plea marks a landmark step in international accountability for Liberia’s civil war atrocities….
Warlord Claims War Crimes Court Will “Dismantle” Peace as Victims Take Center Stage at Peace Commemorations
Former rebel leader Thomas Nimely Yaya used the 21st Anniversary of Peace Celebrations on Friday to voice his opposition to the country’s nascent war and economics crimes courts claiming they threaten the country’s political stability….
A Decade Since the Sierra Leonean Court, Experts Point to Cheaper, “Right-Sized” Models for Liberia’s Courts
The team designing Liberia’s courts have a range of former courts to learn from. The most obvious one is Sierra Leone’s Special Court – held in our neighboring country to try crimes that resulted as a spillover from our own conflict. …
War and Economics Courts Tipped to Cost at Least $60 Million
Running a war crimes court is an expensive exercise no matter where it is held. From construction of court buildings and detention facilities to salaries of judges, lawyers and administrators, to security and witness protection, costs add up quickly….
In First Address to U.N. General Assembly, President Boakai Seeks Support for War and Economic Crimes Courts
In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly since coming to office eight months ago, President Joseph Boakai has called on the body to support Liberia’s war and economic crimes courts….
Victims Demand Toughest Punishment When LURD Rebel “K1” Goes On Trial in United States in January
Osman O. Nyei looks sadly at the storefront that now hosts a frozen food importer. It was here, in the last battles of Liberia’s third civil war in August 2003, that Osman says, Laye Sekou Camara, then a general with Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, the rebel group known as “Lurd”, murdered his brother….