Federal Court upholds 20-year prison sentence for atrocities committed in Liberia
Keystone-SDA
The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has upheld a 20 year prison sentence handed down to former Liberian rebel commander Alieu Kosiah.
The court acquitted him of crimes against humanity, but the conviction for war crimes stands.
In its judgement published on Friday, the Federal Supreme Court examined whether Kosiah’s actions during the civil war in the West African country between 1993 and 1995 could be classified as crimes against humanity. Switzerland did not incorporate this offence into its Criminal Code until 2011.
Judges ruled that applying the law retrospectively would contravene the principle of legality. It therefore acquitted Kosiah of this charge.
But the court upheld the remaining convictions. The war crimes included, amongst other things, the recruitment of child soldiers, murder, rape and the desecration of graves.
Kosiah, now aged 51, was arrested in Switzerland in 2014.
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Swiss court upholds ruling against former Liberian warlord
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
