Ex-president's son denies torture

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The son of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor has pleaded not guilty to charges of committing torture.

Charles McArthur Emmanuel, a US citizen, became the first person in the US to be charged under a 12-year-old federal anti-torture law.

He is facing trial in a court in the US city of Miami, while another US court has sentenced him to 11 months in prison for passport fraud.

His father is awaiting trial in The Hague for war crimes in Sierra Leone.

The alleged torturing was said to have been carried out in Liberia during his father's rule.

The US was able to charge Mr Emmanuel because he was born there.

'Scalding'

Mr Emmanuel, known as Charles "Chuckie" Taylor, had been arrested in late March in Miami and has pleaded guilty to passport fraud for not declaring his connection to his father.

He was in charge of presidential security when his father was in power in Liberia, and is accused of taking part in the torture of a victim in July 2002.

"The allegations in this case include acts of torture, such as burning flesh with a hot iron, burning flesh with scalding water, and applying electric shocks," a US attorney said in an official statement.

The assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement said it was a "clear message the US would not be a safe haven for human rights violators".