A judgment in the war crimes trial of former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor is expected early next year. "We believe that we have accomplished what we set out to do," says prosecutor Stephen Rapp.

"We believe that all of the evidence and all of the arguments will be concluded in this case this year, and it'll be in the hands of the judges for a decision then on guilt or innocence in the early part of 2010," says Rapp.

The 91st witness for the prosecution concluded testimony at the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in The Hague last Friday. The witness was a man who had both hands cut off by rebels allegedly controlled by Taylor. When his 4-year-old son protested at the amputation of his father's left hand, the rebels threatened the boy with the same fate and the witness then offered his right hand to save his son.

The Prosecutor praised the 52 victim witnesses, who had seen or suffered atrocities during Sierra Leone's civil war, for their contribution during the trial:

"Brave men, women and children have taken the stand against Charles Taylor and recounted their suffering. They have included amputees, rape victims, former child soldiers, and persons enslaved, robbed, and terrorized. We are awed by their courage and grateful for their willingness to travel thousands of miles to bear witness."

Trial
The Sierra Leone tribunal has heard gruesome testimonies by witnesses in the past year. They recounted the terror by rebels who randomly cut off arms and legs, kidnapped and drugged children for combat and burned down villages. An estimated 250,000 people died in intertwined wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Charles Ghankay Taylor (61), President of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is believed to have orchestrated these atrocities committed by rebel groups in neighbouring Sierra Leone. He has pleaded not guilty to 11 war crimes charges including murder, rape, conscripting child soldiers and sexual slavery. None of the charges relate to atrocities Taylor is alleged to have committed in Liberia.

Defence lawyer Courtenay Griffiths says his client tried to bring peace to Sierra Leone, denying that Taylor helped the infamous rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), as alleged.

According to Griffiths Taylor "is certainly up for his struggle" and he is "greatly involved in the conducting of his defence. He is constantly passing his lawyers notes. And he is holding up extremely well."

Last month, a Miami court sentenced Taylor's son Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr. to 97 years in prison for torture in Liberia. Taylor sr. has expressed concern over this conviction, but Rapp says the judges in The Hague would not be influenced by it.

The Special Court
The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) was set up to try those with the greatest responsibility for war crimes. Unlike other defendants, Taylor is being tried in a courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and not in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown to avoid local unrest.

If Taylor is found guilty, sentencing should follow three to four weeks after that. An appeal could then take up to six months and the whole process should be concluded by the end of 2010. Britain has offered to imprison Taylor if he receives a jail term from the court, which is barred from passing a death sentence.