Sweden ? Swedish lawmakers have approved a law that makes it possible for the Scandinavian country to imprison former Liberian President Charles Taylor if a U.N.-backed tribunal convicts him of war crimes, government officials said Thursday.

The decision by the Swedish Parliament could remove a major obstacle that has stalled the former African warlord’s trial in Sierra Leone. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nina Ersman said Sweden had not yet officially decided whether it would accept a request to take in Taylor. Such a step would need final approval from the government.

The U.N.-backed court has asked the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court to host the trial, fearing Taylor’s trial in Africa might revive regional instability. The Netherlands agreed to the request on condition that a third country agrees to jail Taylor if he is convicted.