Denmark has rejected a United Nations request to accept former Liberian President Charles Taylor after the conclusion of his war crimes trial in Sierra Leone.
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said Tuesday his government received an official request from the U.N., but is not prepared to take in Mr. Taylor.
Sweden and Austria also have rejected similar requests.
Taylor was arrested in Nigeria last month and is being held in a Sierra Leone prison. A U.N.-backed tribunal there has charged him with 11 counts of war crimes that stem from his alleged support of rebels during Sierra Leone's bloody civil war. He has pleaded innocent.
The court has asked for the trial to be moved to the Netherlands because of fears that Taylor's presence in Sierra Leone could spark unrest. But the Dutch government says it will host the trial only if Taylor is transferred to another country when the proceedings are over.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP .
