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CHUCKIE TAYLOR FOUND GUILTY OF TORTURE (10/30/2008) |
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United States’ Renewed Commitment to Ending Torture Inspires New Hope for Survivors
Today a Miami jury found Charles Emmanuel, known throughout Liberia as Chuckie Taylor, guilty of multiple counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. This conviction for torture is the very first such verdict in United States history.
This trial and the resulting verdict prove to the world that the United States legal system can be an exceptionally powerful human rights enforcement mechanism. Human Rights USA applauds the United States government’s decision to prosecute this case, and looks forward to more. We urge the Department of Justice to continue prosecuting human rights violators as part of a renewed commitment to ending torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment worldwide.
Survivors of torture and other human rights abuses have watched the trial carefully and are deeply moved by the verdict. This trial and the conviction have given survivors new hope for justice. The verdict is particularly encouraging to the survivors of the devastating human rights abuses that took place in Liberia, for whom there has been almost no accountability until now. This verdict is expected to encourage greater participation in the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s efforts and strengthen legal reform efforts by Liberian human rights advocates.
For more information on the trial, please visit Human Rights USA's trial blog: http://usavbelfast.org.
The blog contains a detailed analysis of the day-to-day proceedings of the whole trial written by University of Miami Law students, Florida International University Law students, and Human Rights USA staff. In the wake of the trial, law students at Yale University will continue to write blog entries regarding the verdict and its importance to the international human rights community.
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