The Hague, Netherland – The Judges of Trial Chamber II sentenced convicted former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor to a term of 50 years in prison for planning and for aiding and abetting crimes committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone during the country’s decade-long civil war.

The Trial Chamber, comprised of Justice Richard Lussick of Samoa (Presiding), Justice Teresa Doherty of Northern Ireland, and Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda, unanimously imposed the single global sentence for all 11 counts of the crimes for which Mr. Taylor was convicted. These included acts of terrorism, murder, rape, sexual slavery, outrages upon personal dignity, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, conscripting or enlisting of child soldiers, enslavement and pillage.

Justice Lussick, who read out the judgment in court, said the Trial Chamber found that Mr. Taylor’s abuse of his position as President of Liberia to aid and abet the commission of crimes in Sierra Leone, and the abuse of his position as a member of the ECOWAS Committee of Five (later Six), which was “part of the process relied on by the international community to bring peace to Sierra Leone,” was “an aggravating factor of great weight.”

The Judges also cited the extra-territoriality of Mr. Taylor’s acts, and his exploitation of the Sierra Leone conflict for financial gain, as aggravating factors considered in the sentencing.

The Judges took into account the report of Mr. Taylor’s good conduct in detention, but otherwise rejected a number of mitigating factors proposed by the Defense.

While the jurisprudence of the Special Court and other tribunals “holds that aiding and abetting as a mode of liability generally warrants a lesser sentence than that imposed for more direct forms of participation,” Justice Lussick said that Mr. Taylor’s leadership role “puts him in a class of his own.”

“The Trial Chamber wishes to underscore the gravity it attaches to Mr. Taylor’s betrayal of the public trust,” Justice Lussick said. “In the Trial Chamber’s view, this betrayal outweighs the distinctions that might otherwise pertain to the modes of liability discussed above.”`

The parties, if they intend to appeal, must submit written notice to the Appeals Chamber within 14 days of the sentencing judgment, setting forth the grounds of their appeal.

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In Africa, homosexuality is frequently treated as a taboo subject, and outspoken opposition to it is a political vote winner. However, according to Richard Dowden, director at the Royal African Society, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that homosexuality was accepted in many societies throughout Africa in pre-colonial times. In his article, ‘Getting Gay Rights Wrong in Africa,’ Dowden wonders if the missionaries in Africa were to blame.

“So, is it the fault of the missionaries? But, the missionaries also preached against theft and corruption, against sex before marriage, against marrying several wives, or covetousness. Why do so many Africans get outraged and censorious about homosexuality, something that isn’t even one of the Ten Commandments, while tolerating so many sins that are?” ponders Dowden in his article.

Homosexuality on the African continent is frowned upon, and those suspected of being gay face dire consequences. Thirty-eight African countries criminalize same-sex conduct, and LGBT people run the risk of lengthy prison sentences for expressing their sexuality. Sudan, Mauritania, and northern Nigeria even impose the death penalty. Despite variations in enforcement, what many African countries have in common is the criminalization of private acts between consenting adults whose sexuality and gender identity are considered “abnormal.”

Like many other nations, new legislation in Liberia calls for punishing homosexuality with longer jail time. Anti-LGBT rhetoric is escalating outside of the Liberian government with a group calling itself the Movement Against Gays in Liberia, or MOGAL, distributing a hit list of people who support gay rights, stating that these people “should not be given space to get a gulp of air.”

Gay rights debate in Liberia began getting this sort of unprecedented attention in the newspapers and radio stations after the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, announced in December 2011 that America’s foreign aid budget would promote the protection of gay rights. This, according to Tamasin Ford—a freelance reporter for the BBC and Britain’s newspaper, The Guardian, based in Monrovia —prompted speculation that funds would be tied to countries’ rights records and prompting two new laws.

In the two new bills, one would amend the penal code to make a person guilty of second degree felony if he or she “seduces, encourages, promotes another person of the same gender to engage in sexual activities, or purposefully engages in acts that arouse or tend to arouse another person of the same gender to have sexual intercourse.” The second bill put forward by Jewel Howard Taylor, a senator in Liberia, would make gay marriage a first degree crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Over the years, gay people have been attacked and activists for gay rights killed. In 2010, at least four gay men were attacked in Uganda after a newspaper ran a front-page story listing 100 ‘top’ homosexuals with a heading that read ‘Hang Them’, and a gay activist was killed in 2011.

Image Courtesy of    jerekeys

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Around the world, LGBT persons have committed suicide, got depressed, developed psychological and physiological problems because of rejection and stigmatization in the society.

As a result they are open to limited health care and employment opportunities. Although not so many of them likes being stigmatized and discriminated they still cannot avoid being LGBT persons because It isn’t their mind that’s pushing them to be looked down upon. Their mind is what is making them LGBT.

PSN Newsletter vol 5 (2010) Transgender Today reported from a Transgender interview that,” LGBT is not a fashion trend that anyone can follow it is a thing of the mind that they have absolutely no control over it and that while they physically look like men or women, in their heart they are more of the opposite sex”.

Haven lived in Thailand — a country with the highest number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people tolerated by society however, there is much more to it than being treated equally in the society.

Despite the fact that there has not been any physical assaults recorded or refusal of allowing same sex lovers living and doing things together, Thai LGBT cannot be civil servants, nurses, doctors, politicians nor can they serve in the military.

Many of The African countries like Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Liberia to mention a few being LGBT are seldom mentioned let alone declared in public. To be LGBT here causes a double rejection by your own family and the society at large. Also the strong religious and cultural roots in many of the African countries like Kenya, Cameroun, Republic of Benin and the likes complicate the LGBT community.

While these countries are members of the United Nations they are not complying with U.N. Human Rights Law with regards to people of diverse sexual orientation, and gender identities which can be categorized as: “(a) non-discrimination (b) protection of privacy right and (c) the ensuring of other general human rights to all, regardless of sexual orientation, and gender identity.”

The LGBT communities in the aforementioned countries operate in secrecy for fear of rejection, losing their jobs and family conflict thus, making them fugitives in their own lands.

LGBT cases are crucial around the world. Even with civilization it still seems impossible to overcome however, some Countries and Organizations have come to accept LGBT communities, affording them human rights notable amongst them is the legalization of same sex marriage in Germany, New York City, Massachusetts of the United State and the U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passed recently.

We call on other countries to emulate New York Supreme court, the United Nations and adhere to the words of Barack Obama who spoke on behalf of LGBT persons worldwide on the July 24, 2011.

I sincerely believe that “No culture or religion, translated into prejudice by a government official, religious leaders or lay man, should supersede the basics of humanity and respect for diversity.”

And also the fact that LGBT are a small fraction of the World’s population does not mean that they are wrong at least the majority is not always right.

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