Suriname Court Upholds Former President Bouterse's Conviction in 1982 Massacre
A three-judge panel in Suriname upheld the conviction of former President Desi Bouterse on Wednesday for his involvement in the execution of 15 people in December 1982. The ruling affirms the 2019 decision that implicated Bouterse in overseeing an operation where 16 government critics were abducted, with 15 of them subsequently murdered at a colonial fortress in Paramaribo. The final appeal, which could result in a 20-year prison sentence for the 78-year-old ex-president, concluded with the court's decision.
Bouterse, a dominant political figure in Suriname for decades, denied the charges, insisting that the victims were connected to an invasion plot involving the Netherlands and the United States. The court, however, found that Bouterse had sufficient time to consider the decision to eliminate the victims.
The government characterized the verdict as "an important moment of healing" and called on citizens to accept it. Notably, the court did not immediately issue an arrest warrant, leaving the government to decide on the follow-up to the verdict in compliance with legal provisions.
Bouterse's lawyer, Irvin Kanhai, expressed disappointment with the decision, stating, "It took 41 years, but the long arm of the law has finally caught up to Desi Bouterse." The International Commission of Jurists commended the decision as a victory for the families of the victims.
Hugo Essed, representing the families of the murdered, expressed confidence that the sentences would be enforced. Bouterse and four other ex-military officers convicted in the case were not present at the hearing. The U.S. and Dutch embassies had earlier warned of potential unrest around the ruling.
Bouterse, who seized power in a 1980 coup, led Suriname through the 1980s as head of a military government. He returned to office in 2010, securing re-election in 2015. President Chan Santokhi, who investigated the "December murders" as a police commissioner, may be approached by Bouterse for a pardon. Santokhi, however, has been supportive of moving the case forward, contributing to the tensions between the current government and Bouterse's National Democratic Party, which attempted to halt the case throughout the years.
