Documents reveal former Liberian president plays regular games with inmates and is fearful about being sent to the UK
By Associated Press in Monrovia for the theguardian.com
New documents released by lawyers for the former Liberian president Charles Taylor indicate the convicted war criminal enjoys playing tennis with fellow inmates at The Hague and is fearful of his pending transfer to the UK.
The documents describe Taylor as a well-behaved inmate who nevertheless “does like to speak his mind” and challenge prison officials. They also say he pays “particular attention to his deportment and appearance”.
One letter written by Taylor describes his concerns over his safety and the distance from his family once he is transferred to a British facility.
Britain’s justice minister, Jeremy Wright, confirmed the pending transfer last Thursday, despite Taylor’s request to serve out his sentence in Rwanda.
Taylor received a 50-year sentence last year for sponsoring atrocities in Sierra Leone.