[JURIST] The international tribunal that is set to hear the case against former Liberian President Charles Taylor [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] hit a wall on Tuesday as court administrators struggled to find a country willing to grant Taylor asylum if he is acquitted of 11 counts of war crimes [amended indictment, PDF; summary] allegedly committed during Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war. Officials from the Special Court for Sierra Leone [official website] are seeking to move Taylor's trial to the Hague [JURIST report] due to security concerns; however, the UN Security Council [official website] has agreed not to sign off on the shift until court officials determine where Taylor will be taken after the trial. Although Taylor will likely be taken to a Swedish prison if he is convicted, court officials have had a difficult time finding any country willing to admit Taylor, no matter the outcome of his trial.

As Taylor continues to assemble is defense team [JURIST report] and as court officials and diplomats work on a deal to determine the Taylor's post-trial fate, Amnesty International [advocacy website] on Wednesday called for a fair trial [press release; AFP report], saying that proceedings should comply with international standards and that Taylor should be treated humanely. AP has more.