Today, for the first time since the Nuremberg trials, an international tribunal has been found guilty of war crimes.
The former president of Liberia Charles Taylor was convicted by a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Hague. For the people of Sierra Leone - against whom Taylor has been found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes such as murder, rape, sexual slavery and enforced amputation - this represents a victory for justice and a recognition from the international community that said crimes are unacceptable and will not go unpunished.
What it also shows is that guilt in such atrocities does not have an expiry date which is encouraging for those still seeking justice from other offenders such as Omar al-Bashir in Sudan.
This is not unproblematic: where does the capacity of the international stage to intervene end? Can it move to indict Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier in Haiti for example? Or Bashar al-Assad in Syria?
Let's hope this is only the beginning of a series of judgements against heads f state who up till now have considered themselves untenable. We need this to show the current and future despots that their tyranny will not be accepted and will not be without consequence.
The former president of Liberia Charles Taylor was convicted by a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Hague. For the people of Sierra Leone - against whom Taylor has been found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes such as murder, rape, sexual slavery and enforced amputation - this represents a victory for justice and a recognition from the international community that said crimes are unacceptable and will not go unpunished.
What it also shows is that guilt in such atrocities does not have an expiry date which is encouraging for those still seeking justice from other offenders such as Omar al-Bashir in Sudan.
This is not unproblematic: where does the capacity of the international stage to intervene end? Can it move to indict Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier in Haiti for example? Or Bashar al-Assad in Syria?
Let's hope this is only the beginning of a series of judgements against heads f state who up till now have considered themselves untenable. We need this to show the current and future despots that their tyranny will not be accepted and will not be without consequence.
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