[JURIST] Efforts to identify a country willing to take in former Liberian President Charles Taylor [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] after his war crimes trial at The Hague are now focused on Denmark, according to diplomats speaking on the condition of anonymity. A request has been made informally by US officials leading the search for a country, but Denmark said it would not entertain the request until it was formally made. The Netherlands has said it would hold Taylor's trial at The Hague [JURIST report], but only on the condition that another country accept him immediately after, which Austria and Sweden [JURIST report] have already refused to do because they are concerned that Taylor may still have political control from inside prison.

Taylor has been charged with 11 counts of war crimes [amended indictment, PDF; summary] related to the civil war in Sierra Leone and is currently being held there. He has petitioned the court [JURIST report] to keep his trial in Sierra Leone, and the court said it will consider his request when they return from recess on April 24. AP has more.