Reviewing the Transfer Charles Taylor to The Hague

Abstract

Sierra Leone mengalami perang saudara yang mengerikan pada tahun 1991 yang menyebabkan sebanyak 100.000 kematian dan hampir 450.000 orang pengungsi. Selama perang, Charles Taylor, Presiden Liberia membantu kelompok pemberontak di Sierra Leone yaitu the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) baik logistik, keuangan dan materi. Setelah perang saudara selama satu dekade, Sierra Leone bersama dengan Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) setuju untuk membentuk pengadilan kriminal internasional yang mrupakan suatu pengadilan khusus untuk Sierra Leone (selanjutnya disingkat SCSL) untuk menghukum pelaku serius selama perang. Meskipun Sierra Leone membentuk pengadilan sendiri dan mempunyai kemampuan untuk mengadili penjahat lainnya di wilayahnya, Charles Taylor sendiri yang dipindahkan ke Den Haag, wilayah lain di luar Sierra Leone. Studi ini bertujuan untuk memberkan argumen bahwa pengadilan kriminal internasional seharusnya secara cermat mempertimbangkan pemindahan tertuduh untuk menjamin proses hukum yang sah. Studi ini tidak menentang pemindahan tersebut dengan pertimbangan keadaan Sierra Leone pada saat itu. Meskipun demikian, proses untuk memutuskan pergantian tempat haruslah lebih transparan dan adil bagi tertuduh. Studi ini mencoba mengusulkan rekomendasi bagi pengadilankriminal internasional di masa datang ynag bermaksud melakukan penggantian tempat beracara melalui pembelajaran dari kasus Charles Taylor.

Sierra Leone fell in a devastating civil war in 1991, which caused 100,000 deaths and almost 450,000 refugees and internally displaced people. During the war, Charles Taylor, the President of Liberia assisted a rebel group in Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) logistically, financially, and materially. After a decade-lasting civil war, Sierra Leone agreed to establish an international criminal tribunal, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (thereafter, SCSL or Special Court), with the United Nations to punish the most serious perpetrators during the war. Although Sierra Leone established its own tribunal and had capacity to try other criminals within its territory, Charles Taylor was the only person transferred to the Hague, another territory outside of Sierra Leone. This study is intended to argue that the international criminal tribunals should carefully consider the transfer of the accused in transparent manner to ensure due process and legitimacy among ordinary population by looking at the case of the transfer of Taylor to The Hague by the SCSL. This study does not oppose the transfer itself. Rather, it was probably necessary under the fragile security situation in Sierra Leone at a given time. Even so, the process to decide the change of venue should be more transparent and fair for the accused.  This study tries to propose a recommendation for future international criminal tribunals for the change of venue of the accused through the learning from the case of Charles Taylor.