"Mr. Taylor, will you please rise."<br /> <br />And with that, former Liberian President Charles Taylor stood in the International Criminal Court to hear the judge's ruling.<br /> <br />He's appealed his conviction for war crimes.<br /> <br />SOUNDBITE: PRESIDING JUDGE, GEORGE GELAGA KING, SAYING:<br /> <br />"Charles (inaudible) Taylor remains in the custody of the special court for Sierra Leone pending the finalization of arraignments to serve his sentence."<br /> <br />Appeal denied.<br /> <br />The 65-year old will serve his 50-year sentence, handed down to him last year for encouraging rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone to murder, mutilate and rape during a decade-long civil war.<br /> <br />The conflict killed more 50,000 people and left tens of thousands more with their limbs hacked off in the brutal violence.<br /> <br />Prosecutors accused Taylor of running a "blood diamond" trade to help finance his activities, allegations he denied.<br /> <br />SOUNDBITE: DEFENDANT, FORMER LIBERIAN PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR, SAYING:<br /> <br />"It's
