Reasonable Doubt: Gibril Massaquoi acquitted Finnish District Court dismissed all charges against former RUF spokesman and commander Today April 29th, 2022 the Pirkanmaa District Court in Tampere, Finland, issued its judgement in the trial of Gibril Massaquoi. Mr Massaquoi, former Revolutionary United Front (RUF) commander and spokesman, was charged with murder, aggravated rape, aggravated war […]
The Samson Effect: the Strength of Justice is in the Voices of Victims
The Samson Effect: the Strength of Justice is in the Voices of Victims The legend of Samson is known to many: in the biblical Book of Judges, the secret to Samson’s prodigious strength lay in his hair. When it was cut off, he was powerless and physically unremarkable. In criminal accountability, the voice and role […]
Momentum for Justice in Liberia
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 […]
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 […]
Michel Desaedeleer Dies in Custody in Belgium
Michel Desaedeleer Dies in Custody in Belgium Michel Desaedeleer, businessman of dual citizenship (Belgian and American) died yesterday in prison in Belgium. He was arrested in August 2015 based on allegations that he had committed the war crimes of inhuman and degrading treatment and pillage as well as the crime against humanity of enslavement through […]
U.S./Belgian citizen arrested for his alleged participation in the trade of “blood diamonds” during Sierra Leone’s civil war.
U.S./Belgian citizen arrested for his alleged participation in the trade of “blood diamonds” during Sierra Leone’s civil war Michel Desaedeleer, American and Belgian citizen, was arrested in Spain this week, pursuant to a European arrest warrant. He is suspected of having participated, with former Liberian President Charles Taylor and the Sierra Leonean rebels of the […]
