Posted: Thursday, December 21, 2023. 5:05 am CST.
By Horace Palacio: The Court of Justice of Suriname on Wednesday sentenced former Surinamese President Desi Bouterse to 20 years in prison for his role in the 1982 murders of 15 individuals, including journalists, military officers, and other prominent figures. The ruling, delivered in Bouterse’s absence, marks a significant moment in Suriname’s judicial history, according to the BBC.
The 78-year-old former president was not present when the Court issued its decision, which upheld his conviction from August 2021. This conviction by the Court Martial of Suriname had affirmed a 2019 military court ruling, concluding a trial that spanned several years.
In 2017, Bouterse, along with 23 co-defendants, appeared in the military court after the Court of Justice had earlier dismissed a motion to halt the trial. The defendants, comprising former military officers and civilians, faced charges related to the December 8, 1982, murders. The victims, a group that included journalists, union leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and university lecturers, were arrested on the nights of December 7 and 8, transferred to Fort Zeelandia, then the headquarters of the Surinamese National Army, and were reportedly tortured and executed.
The prosecution maintained that the men were subjected to torture and summarily executed, painting a harrowing picture of the events that transpired at Fort Zeelandia.
Justice Dinesh Sewratan, delivering the judgment, emphasized the premeditated nature of the crime and the lack of conscience in the execution of the 15 men. While no immediate order for Bouterse’s arrest has been announced, the judge’s words underscored the gravity of the offenses.
In determining the sentence, Justice Sewratan considered all the facts, including the maximum sentence applicable at the time of the offenses and Bouterse’s advanced age. Consequently, he handed down a 20-year prison sentence to the former president.
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Posted: Thursday, December 21, 2023. 5:05 am CST. By Horace Palacio: The Court of Justice of Suriname on Wednesday sentenced former Surinamese President Desi Bouterse to
The post International News: Former President of Suriname sentenced to 20 years in jail appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
