Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Ex-Liberian President Makes First Appearance at War Crimes Tribunal
-------------------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1326D7B:3919ACA Former warlord
faces 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity Former
Liberian president and notorious warlord Charles Taylor has appeared
in a Hague courtroom for the first time since he was flown to the
Netherlands for his war crimes trial.  Taylor's lawyers used to the
opportunity to complain about the conditions of his detention.







Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, right, makes his first
appearance at the courtroom of the Special Court for Sierra
LeoneCharles Taylor did not speak throughout the 50-minute hearing
held in the International Criminal Court on Friday.

Instead, his lawyer Karim Asad Ahmad Khan objected to the conditions
of Taylor's imprisonment. He called the food Taylor was being served
Eurocentric, and saidhe was often kept locked up in his cell for 16
hours a day.

Court registrar Herman von Hebel called the problems start-up issues,
which he would help overcome next week.

Taylor is facing eleven counts of war crimes and crimes against
humanity for his role in the war in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2000 in
which many victims had body parts hacked off.  In June, the
Netherlands agreed to host the trial, after the U.N.-backed court on
Sierra Leone, which is conducting the trial, said it felt it was not
safe to try him in Sierra Leone.

Khan also criticized remarks made by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, which he said described war crimes suspects like Taylor as
criminals. The AP news agency quoted Khan as saying these comments
were not just unseemly but repugnant to justice.

Presiding judge Richard Lussick said judges would ignore Annan's
comments and would not be influenced by any other remarks made outside
the courtroom.

Taylor made headlines in March when he was captured in Nigeria. He had
fled from his exile home in southern Nigeria, when Nigeria agreed to
hand him over to Liberia. His was immediately transferred into the
custody of the Sierra Leone court.

While prosecutors were hoping to start the trial early next year, Khan
said it would take until at least next July to prepare a case of what
he called this "size and magnitude."


.