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UN winds down Sierra Leone court UN winds down Sierra Leone court
(about 4 hours later)
A UN-backed court in Sierra Leone is set to hand down its last verdict on war crimes suspects from the country's civil war, which ended it 2002. A UN-backed court in Sierra Leone has dealt with its last case after seven years investigating atrocities from the country's decade-long civil war.
The conflict was characterised by the widespread murder, mutilation and abuse of civilians. Thousands were killed, mutilated and raped in the war, which ended in 2002.
Three rebel leaders will hear the result of appeals against conviction. The court has spent millions of dollars prosecuting suspects from all sides - money that critics say should have been spent on development projects.
The only outstanding case is that of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, whose trial continues in a special courtroom in The Hague. In the Freetown court's final hearing, judges upheld the convictions of three rebel leaders.
Once the Freetown court has handed down the verdicts on Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leaders Issa Sesay, Maurice Kallon and Augustine Gbao, it will close its doors. The only remaining case is that of Liberia's ex-President Charles Taylor, who is currently on trial in The Hague.
The court will leave many Sierra Leoneans with a mixed experience of international justice. He is accused of backing rebels from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in an attempt to overthrow Sierra Leone's government.
All sides in the civil war committed atrocities, but most Sierra Leoneans have an idea of who were the heroes and who were the villains. 'Heroes' on trial
Established by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations, the court set out to punish crimes regardless of who committed them. Judges at the Freetown court upheld lengthy jail sentences against RUF leaders Issa Sesay, Maurice Kallon and Augustine Gbao for a catalogue of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Many balked at seeing in the dock the leader of the Civilian Defence Force militia, which fought hard against the RUF rebels. Issa Sesay (C) will spend at least 52 years in jail
Sam Hinga Norman was hero for the people of Freetown, but his forces committed atrocities. The BBC's correspondent in the region, Caspar Leighton, says the court's closure has left many Sierra Leoneans with a mixed experience of international justice.
Mr Hinga Norman died during his trial - a case of justice denied for his supporters. The court was set up by the UN and Sierra Leone's government in 2002 to punish crimes regardless of who committed them.
But all sides in the civil war committed atrocities and our correspondent says most Sierra Leoneans have an idea of who were the heroes and who were the villains.
Many of them balked at seeing Sam Hinga Norman, the leader of the Civilian Defence Force militia, in the dock.
He had been a hero for the people of Freetown, fighting hard against the RUF rebels - but his forces committed atrocities.
Mr Hinga Norman died during his trial.
The notorious leader of the RUF rebels, Foday Sankoh, also died while on trial.The notorious leader of the RUF rebels, Foday Sankoh, also died while on trial.
Sierra Leoneans have appreciated seeing those responsible for commanding the horrors of the civil war face justice, but many have remarked that some of the millions of dollars spent on the Special Court might have been better used on improving the lives of the victims.