Charles Taylor asks for Rwandan prison sentence

Ex-president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, has issued a request for transfer of his prison term to Rwanda. This was announced by Taylor's lawyer John Jones on Tuesday. 

Taylor is currently serving his prison sentence in Britain. He was convicted of war crimes last year and sentenced to 50 years by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in Leidschendam.

In 2006, Charles Taylor was brought to The Netherlands to stand trial for his war crimes and for supporting rebels who accounted for the atrocities in Sierra Leone. Taylor is the first foreign head of state who has been sentenced outside his country of origin, in The Netherlands, by an international court.

According to Opinio Juris, in the motion filed by Taylor, he argues that his sentence is not in accordance with human rights laws. Serving in Britain goes against his right to humane treatment, as, due to lack of funds, he is not able to receive visits from his family there.

NL Times has not independently verified the documents acquired by Opinio Juris. Calls to Taylor's attorneys have not yet been returned.

He also claims that he is under threat from his co-prisoners in Britain, and has been confined to the prison's hospital wing, as prison authorities believe that he is too vulnerable to live in the general prison population.

According to the motion, Taylor wishes to be transferred to Rwanda as that location will permit his family to visit, and will allow him to live amongst other prisoners.