Richard Dicker
Richard Dicker
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On the second anniversary of Charles Taylor's flight to Nigeria, his continued impunity is undermining the rule of law in West Africa and putting civilians in the region at risk.
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Despite shortcomings, it was a momentous day for Iraqis. It sends a signal that the days of unlimited impunity for these types of crimes may be winding down.
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I think we need to dial down our expectations of the history-telling functions of these trials.
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I think there is a danger ... of this spinning out of control,
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I think there have been real difficulties and problems in the Milosevic trial. What will be important is the evidence that was presented to indicate the motivation and intent of Milosevic.
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I think indeed that these trials need to be conducted on a more focused basis than the Milosevic trial was. Of necessity, some of these criminal trials will not be able to tell anywhere near the full story of what happened.
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There are lessons for the prosecution to learn and lessons for the judges to learn. The length of the trial underscores the importance of focusing on the key charges.
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We will look very carefully at how the judges respond to motions submitted by the defense, including requests for more time to allow adequate preparation.
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We think there is a certainly a credible basis for this investigation by the tribunal given the facts that we have gathered.
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We call on all governmental and inter-governmental actors in West Africa to ensure Taylor promptly appears for trial. The U.N. peacekeeping forces in Liberia and Sierra Leone will need to play their role to ensure justice can be done while stability in West Africa is maintained.
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We have grave concerns that the court will not provide the fair trial guarantees required by international law, ... But it's not too late for the tribunal's judges to fix some of these problems if they take steps to ensure a fair trial.
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We have grave concerns that the court will not ensure fair trial,
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To minimize the risks involved, the court must make sure the lawyers it appoints mount a vigorous defense.
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For the U.S. government and the United Nations not to press Nigeria to hand Taylor over will send a clear message that the law only reaches so far.