RAPAPORT… Charles McArthur Emmanuel, the 30-year old son of former Liberia President Charles Taylor, pled not guilty this week to charges that he committed acts of torture on political enemies.
Emmanuel, who is citizen of the United States, has been indicted on eight counts of acts he committed as head of Liberia’s Antiterrorism Unit during his father’s presidency. The case is the first prosecution under a 1994 law criminalizing torture committed outside United States’ borders, The South Florida Sun reported.
If convicted in the United States, Emmanuel faces a possible life prison sentence. Charles Taylor, who pled not guilty to war crimes, awaits the start of his trial at The Hague. Ironically, Taylor and his son both face their court trials in January 2008.
Taylor is accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against people in Sierra Leone and Liberia.