Liberia's former President Charles Taylor has been sentenced to 50 years in jail by a UN-backed war crimes court.

Last month, Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting rebels in  Sierra Leone  during the 1991-2002 civil war.

Special Court for Sierra Leone judges said the sentence reflected his status as head of state at the time and his betrayal of public trust. Judge Richard Lussick said the accused has been found responsible for aiding and abetting some of the most heinous crimes in human history. 

He said the crimes which took place over five years included cutting off the limbs of their victims and cutting open pregnant women to settle bets over the sex of their unborn children. 

The prosecution had wanted an 80-year prison term to reflect the severity of the crimes and the central role that Taylor had in facilitating them.

But the judge said that would have been excessive taking into account the limited scope of his involvement in planning operations in Sierra Leone.

Taylor, 64, insists he is innocent and is likely to appeal against the sentence.