The lawyer of Surinamese ex-president Desi Bouterse and four co-convicts plans to submit a request for clemency to President Chan Santokhi. He has asked the Surinamese Public Prosecution Service (OM) to suspend the execution of the sentences, the Public Prosecution Service reported on Friday.
On Wednesday, Bouterse (78) was finally convicted for his role in the December murders in 1982. He will spend twenty years in prison because he ordered the arrest and execution of fifteen opponents of his regime. Bouterse was not present at the ruling when it was pronounced by the Court of Justice in Paramaribo. The court did not immediately arrest Bouterse, as justice demanded. There would be no possibilities for this in Surinamese law, according to the court.
Bouterse has eight days to submit a request for clemency to President Chan Santokhi. That's going to happen now. After receiving the request for clemency, Santokhi will request advice from the Court of Justice. The president does not have to follow that advice. He confirmed to the Surinamese news site on Thursday Star News that he will follow the advice of the Court of Justice.
'Murderers never eligible for pardon'
On Thursday, Surinamese Santokhi also announced that it is inevitable that Bouterse will have to serve his sentence under lock and key. “There is no other choice,” he said in conversation with News hour. “The laws of the land must be followed. One thing is certain: there is a verdict and that verdict must be carried out.” In the same conversation, Santokhi indicated that Bouterse could still apply for a pardon. Previously, Santokhi said he believes convicted murderers should never be eligible for a pardon. However, he did not want to respond specifically to a possible request for clemency from Bouterse. “Let's wait until the request for clemency comes, if it does come.”
What are the December murders about?
The verdict puts an end to a drawn-out process lasting more than sixteen years. Bouterse tried to avoid prosecution in every possible way. He trained the trial, intimidated judges and during his presidency a controversial amnesty law (2012) was passed, which acquitted him and other suspects of the December murders. As a result, the criminal trial was at a standstill for years. “Those who sought justice have had the patience of the angels,” said the chairman of the court.
The court considers it proven that on the night of December 7 to 8, 1982, sixteen critics were lifted from their beds and taken to Fort Zeelandia on the orders of Bouterse, then leader of the military regime. These included journalists, lawyers, professors, entrepreneurs, soldiers and trade unionists. One of them was released, the others were tortured and summarily executed.
Bouterse denies having been present in Fort Zeelandia, but witnesses stated otherwise. The prisoners were brought before Bouterse one by one, after which he personally pronounced their death sentences. According to one witness, Bouterse even castrated a prisoner and shot two victims. The torture and executions were later confirmed by forensic examination of the exhumed bodies.
'The Netherlands is responsible'
The former president maintains that he is innocent and that the murders were not premeditated. Moreover, he holds the Netherlands responsible for the death. According to him, the fifteen victims wanted to overthrow the government – on behalf of the Netherlands. The men paid the “ultimate price” for this 'high treason', according to Bouterse. They were allegedly shot dead when they tried to flee. “History will acquit me,” he said before the court martial.
The court calls the plans for a coup 'not plausible' and an 'empty statement'. “There has been no evidence whatsoever that the victims were engaged in a coup,” the court said. “If that had been the case, they should have been criminally prosecuted.”
Bouterse had already been sentenced to twenty years in prison by the Court Martial twice (2019 and 2021) for the December murders. According to the judges, it was premeditated murder. At the same time as Bouterse, the court also ruled against four other ex-military personnel (Benny Brondenstein, Iwan Dijksteel, Stephanus Dendoe and Ernst Geffery) on appeal. They were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Justice also demanded twenty years against them.
Keep calm
In the run-up to the final verdict, President Santokhi called on the population to demonstrate responsible behavior and to deal peacefully with this 'crucial verdict for the nation'. Businesses and schools around the courthouse remained closed. The police took extra measures with surveillance, roadblocks and security checks.
“The government understands the emotional impact of the case and calls for unity, responsibility and respect for the rule of law,” Santokhi said in a statement. “The society is requested to face the upcoming ruling with calmness for peace and tranquility.”
The criminal trial started on November 30, 2007. Until the first verdict of the Court Martial, Bouterse did not show up at any hearing. Only when he objected to the sentence did he appear before the Court Martial and make a statement. According to him, the Court Martial did not establish the truth and important witnesses were not heard. He later invoked his right to remain silent. In his last word, at the end of July, Bouterse said he accepted the verdict. “We will bow our heads and always listen.”
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