Taylor has been on good behavior since his transfer to The Hague seven years ago, though he has spoken his mind to prison officials to object to changes in his living conditions, according to the documents given to The Associated Press. He also has a reputation for paying "particular attention to his deportment and appearance."
He received a 50-year sentence last year for sponsoring atrocities committed by the Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone in exchange for "blood diamonds." The rebels became notorious for widespread killings and amputations during an 11-year civil war that ended in 2002.
Last Thursday, United Kingdom Justice Minister Jeremy Wright announced that Taylor would serve out his sentence in a British detention facility, despite Taylor's request that he be transferred to Rwanda.
In a letter dated that same day and included in the documents released by Taylor's defense team, the convicted war criminal detailed his fears for his personal safety and the distance from his family should he not be permitted to return to Africa.
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He referred specifically to the case of Radislav Krstic, a Bosnian Serb war criminal who was assaulted by three inmates at a high-security prison in northern England in May 2010.
"In short, incarceration in the United Kingdom will likely and very soon lead to me being seriously injured or killed," Taylor said.
Taylor also expressed concern about his family's inability to visit him, citing the higher costs and visa complications facing Liberians traveling to the UK.
A separate document states that Taylor has 15 children from various marriages, five of whom are younger than 10. He also has four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A prison behavior profile sheds light on Taylor's life in The Hague, saying he has maintained good relations with guards and his fellow inmates, though he "does like to speak his mind" when he believes his living conditions are being adversely affected.