Current:Home > StocksSuriname’s ex-dictator sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1982 killings of political opponents -Quantum Capital Pro
Suriname’s ex-dictator sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1982 killings of political opponents
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 06:07:50
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Suriname’s former dictator Desi Bouterse was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 years in prison for the murders of 15 opponents of the then-military regime in December 1982, ending a historic 16-year legal process.
Bouterse, 78, was previously sentenced in the case in 2019 and in 2021 but had appealed both decisions. The court on Wednesday upheld his conviction and the latest sentencing was seen as final with no more appeals allowed. The judge handed down 20 years given the ex-president’s age and that it was the highest sentence allowed at the time of the killings.
“We have received a gem of a verdict,” said Hugo Essed, lawyer for the victims’ relatives, adding that he can now “proudly” say there is an independent constitutional state in Suriname.
Neither Bouterse, nor his four co-suspects, who were sentenced to 15 years in prison, were present in the courtroom for the sentencing.
Bouterse’s lawyer, Irvin Kanhai, said he disagreed with the verdict and had expected an acquittal, but would go into detail at a later date. “I am going to my client now,” he told journalists.
The former president remains chair of the National Democratic Party and some fear unrest in parts of Suriname. Die-hard supporters call him “boss” and have maintained they will not accept a conviction. Bouterse has urged calm several times. Tight security measures were in place in part of the capital of Paramaribo.
Bouterse still has the option of requesting a presidential pardon, but according to Essed, the legislation in Suriname is unclear on the issue. “If a request for clemency is made, it is not expected that the Court will advise on granting it.”
Henk Kamperveen, the son of Andre Kamperveen, one of the 15 people killed, said it took a long time, but the legal process against Bouterse has finally come to an end.
“We’re not going to celebrate,” he added, saying it is not a victory for the relatives, but for the rule of law in Suriname.
Prosecutors had demanded the immediate imprisonment of Bouterse, but the judge did not back the request. “How and when (Bouterse’s imprisonment) will happen is up to the prosecution,” said Essed.
Bouterse led a bloodless coup to become dictator from 1980 to 1987 and was democratically elected president from 2010 to 2020.
He and two dozen others were accused of rounding up well-known people including lawyers, journalists and a university professor and executing them in 1982 in a colonial fortress in Paramaribo.
The former dictator has accepted “political responsibility” but insists he was not present for the killings known as the “December murders.”
The criminal trial began in 2007, a quarter-century after the events it relates to. A total of 25 suspects were initially accused in the killings. A dozen have been acquitted, six have died and five have been sentenced. Two have been convicted but are believed to have fled Suriname.
Bouterse unsuccessfully tried to push through an amnesty law after being elected in 2010. Then in 2016, he ordered Suriname’s attorney general to halt legal proceedings for alleged national security reasons. A court rejected that.
____
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (4568)
Related
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Biden creates New Deal-style American Climate Corps using executive power
- A panel finds torture made a 9/11 defendant psychotic. A judge will rule whether he can stand trial
- Prince William says 'optimism' and 'hope' is key to climate reform during Earthshot Prize in NYC
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Texas AG Ken Paxton attacks rivals, doesn’t rule out US Senate run in first remarks since acquittal
- Gas explosion and fire at highway construction site in Romania kills 4 and injures 5
- Sports Illustrated Resorts are coming to the US, starting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- A new London exhibition highlights the untold stories of Black British fashion designers
Ranking
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Nevada pardons board will now consider requests for posthumous pardons
- Why Jon Bon Jovi Won’t Be Performing at His Son Jake’s Wedding to Millie Bobby Brown
- 'Wellness' is a perfect novel for our age, its profound sadness tempered with humor
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- 'Robotic' Bears quarterback Justin Fields says he hasn't been playing like himself
- Exclusive: Pentagon to review cases of LGBTQ+ veterans denied honorable discharges under don't ask, don't tell
- QDOBA will serve larger free 3-Cheese Queso sides in honor of National Queso Day
Recommendation
Average rate on 30
Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has died at 64. He shot themes from gay nightlife to the royal family
Did your kids buy gear in Fortnite without asking you? The FTC says you could get a refund
Six Palestinians are killed in latest fighting with Israel, at least 3 of them militants
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Trump’s New York hush-money criminal trial could overlap with state’s presidential primary
'Wellness' is a perfect novel for our age, its profound sadness tempered with humor
Having a hard time finding Clorox wipes? Blame it on a cyberattack