Charles Taylor: "Peace Messenger" Who Orchestrated 250,000 Murders Now Rots in Jail

• Charles Taylor, former Liberian President, posed as a peace advocate but was a brutal war criminal responsible for 250,000 murders and widespread atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
• His regime involved mutilations, sexual violence, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers, some as young as 8, who were drugged and made to commit horrific acts.
• Taylor launched a rebellion in 1989, exploiting instability, and later supported Sierra Leone's RUF with weapons for "blood diamonds."
• Indicted by the UN, he was found guilty by the Special Court for Sierra Leone on 11 counts, including murder, rape, and using child soldiers.
• Sentenced to 50 years in 2012, his appeal was rejected, and he remains imprisoned in a British jail since 2013.

Why It Matters: Charles Taylor, a brutal war criminal, is serving a life sentence for orchestrating widespread atrocities and using child soldiers.