justice in perspective

LATEST UPDATE

On 9 January 2009, a United States court sentenced Charles Taylor’s son, Charles McArthur Emmanuel, known as “Chuckie Taylor,” to 97 years in prison for torture and war crimes committed while he was the head of a Liberian paramilitary unit. 

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TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE PROCESSES

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Liberia:

United States v. Charles McArthur Emmanuel

Details
Category: Mechanism
Created on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 10:52
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 December 2011 23:34
Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
Written by Super User
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africa liberiaNAME OF CASE

United States v. Charles McArthur Emmanuel 

PERIOD

Criminal case: 2006 – 2009
Civil case: 2010

RESULTS

On 9 January 2009, a United States court sentenced Charles Taylor’s son, Charles McArthur Emmanuel, known as “Chuckie Taylor,” to 97 years in prison for torture and war crimes committed while he was the head of a Liberian paramilitary unit [BBC | 9 Jan 2009]. Chuckie Taylor is the first American citizen to be charged and convicted of war crimes committed outside the country [ABC News | 14 Jul 2009].

In a civil trial following his criminal conviction and sentencing, Taylor was ordered by a US federal judge to pay US$22.4 million in damages to five Liberian torture survivors [BBC | 6 Feb 2010]. The suit was filed on behalf of the victims by the World Organization for Human Rights USA.  

Taylor appealed the verdict, challenging the constitutionality of the statute implementing the International Convention against Torture. In July 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the conviction and sentencing of Taylor, concluding that they were constitutional [Human Rights USA | 15 Jul 2010].

BACKGROUND

Chuckie Taylor was born and raised in the US. Upon reaching adulthood, he joined his father in Liberia and became head of the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit, known as the “Demon Forces.” He returned to the US in 2006, where he was arrested and later convicted on the basis of a US anti-torture law. 

SOURCES

[ABC News | 14 Jul 2009]  
[BBC | 9 Jan 2009] 
[BBC | 6 Feb 2010] 

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