By John Ikani
Former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, has filed a suit before the Community Court of Justice, alleging the violation of his right to property by the ‘refusal’ of the Government of Liberia to pay his pension and retirement benefits since his ‘resignation’ in 2003.
Taylor sparked a 13-year civil war in Liberia when he led a rebellion in 1989 to oust President Samuel Doe, which deteriorated into one of Africa’s bloodiest conflicts.
He is currently serving a 50-year sentence in a UK prison after being convicted in 2012 by a court in The Hague of fuelling civil conflict in Sierra Leone.
In the suit, the former President said the action of the government constitutes a violation of his human rights, particularly the right to freedom from discrimination, equal protection of the law, right to dignity, fair hearing, and property as guaranteed under Articles 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples; Rights.
The applicant, according to a release by the Court of the West Africa bloc ECOWAS, contended that as the 22nd President, he is entitled to pension and other benefits as specified in the country’s Act to amend an Act providing for the retirement pension of the President and Vice President of the Republic of Liberia which was promulgated by the country’s Parliament in 2003.
The court said no date has been fixed for the hearing for Taylor, who was Liberia’s President from 1997 to 2003.
Taylor was the first ex-Head of State to be jailed by an international court since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in Germany after World War II.
He was convicted on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity over acts committed by Sierra Leone rebels he aided during the war.
