Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has again boycotted his war crimes trial in the Netherlands and his lawyer has asked for permission to appeal over the judges’ decision to reject his final written summary of the defence case.
Judges briefly reopened the trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone today but Taylor and his lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, were not in the courtroom and Presiding Judge Teresa Doherty quickly adjourned the case until Friday.
Mr Griffiths stormed out of court yesterday after judges refused to accept his 600-page written summary of the defence case because he filed it 20 days too late.
Taylor’s three-year trial for allegedly arming and supporting murderous Sierra Leone rebels is drawing to a close, with a verdict expected later this year.