The "blood diamond" trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone entered its final phase on Wednesday, with Taylor's lawyers scheduled to make their closing arguments on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Friday, the prosecution and defense will have an opportunity for last statements, after which the judges will begin to consider their ruling, which is expected to be issued mid-year.

Taylor is accused of arming Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front rebels, who waged a 10-year civil war that claimed over 100,000 lives by the time it ended in 2001. The RUF allegedly paid for the arms with jars of rough diamonds from the country's diamond mines.

Taylor is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, to which he has pleaded not guilty, dismissing the charges as lies.