Momentum for Justice in Liberia On Wednesday April 7, 2021, a Finnish court concluded the Gibril Massaquoi case hearings in Monrovia, Liberia, which began on February 23. 21 days of hearings, during which 55 witnesses were heard and interrogated by Finnish prosecutors and defense lawyers. Gibril Massaquoi, former RUF (Revolutionary United Front) spokesman and commander, has been charged […]
The Massaquoi trial Q&A
The Massaquoi trial Q&A The Finnish trial of Sierra Leonean national, Gibril Massaquoi, started in February in Finland but hearings of victims and witnesses will be conducted by Finnish judges in Liberia and then in Sierra Leone. This trial is spurring a lot of discussion and debate, not only because it sits within the broader […]
How far should suspected war criminals who denounce others be protected? Finland has decided
This article first appeared on LeTemps on the 8th of February 2021. How far should suspected war criminals who denounce others be protected? Finland has decided Gibril Massaquoi, who the press has dubbed “the Judas of Sierra Leone”, did not see his own arrest coming, having so masterfully caused the arrest of his former brothers […]
Finland has demonstrated its support for the victims and for the fight against impunity
Finland has demonstrated its support for the victims and for the fight against impunity Liberia was the theatre of one of Africa’s most brutal conflicts – the first and second civil wars of 1989-1997 and 1999-2003, respectively. The wars not only destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Liberians, but eventually spilled into neighbouring […]
Liberian history in the making: groundbreaking decision regarding Gibril Massaquoi’s trial
Liberian history in the making: groundbreaking decision regarding Gibril Massaquoi’s trial An international war crimes trial has commenced in Finland today, in the Pirkanmaa District Court, concerning atrocity crimes allegedly committed and incited by Gibril Massaquoi in far-away Liberia. Unlike most war crimes trials in front of domestic courts, which are de-facto very distant from the time […]
Trial of former RUF commander set to begin before Finnish court
Trial of former RUF commander set to begin before Finnish court The trial of Sierra Leonean national and Tampere resident, Gibril Massaquoi, will begin on 1st February 2021 before the Pirkanmaa District Court in Finland, and is expected to last for several months. This follows today’s indictment of Massaquoi by the Office of the Prosecutor on charges […]
Former RUF commander arrested in Finland over war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Liberia
Former RUF commander arrested in Finland over war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Liberia On Tuesday, March 10, Gibril Massaquoi, a Sierra Leonean national, was arrested in Tampere, Finland, by the Finnish police who suspect that he committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Liberia between 1999 and 2003. The crimes […]
