Suriname’s former President Desi Bouterse, whose conviction for involvement in the killing of 15 individuals more than four decades ago was upheld in December, has been ordered to serve his sentence.
The public prosecutor announced this on Wednesday, marking a pivotal moment in a long-standing legal battle.
No pardon request
Reports are that Bouterse, the former president and army leader, had until Monday to request a pardon, but did not do so.
He is set to appear at a jail in the country alongside four co-defendants on Friday.
Convictions affirmed in December
A three-judge panel affirmed the convictions of Bouterse and four others in the execution of 15 government critics, which included lawyers, journalists, union leaders, soldiers, and university professors.
This brutal incident occurred in December 1982, and it has remained a contentious issue in Surinamese society.
Read more:
- Suriname’s court upholds 20-year prison term for former president in murder case
- Desi Bouterse not afraid of another long jail term
- Former Suriname president Desi Bouterse tells court: ‘I didn’t kill anyone’
- Suriname Prosecution calls for Bouterse to be arrested and jailed
Varied sentences handed down
The legal proceedings resulted in significant penalties for the individuals involved.
Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while his co-defendants, Iwan Dijksteel, Benny Brondenstein, and Ernst Gefferie, each received 15-year sentences.
Summons to incarceration
The five convicted individuals were summoned by bailiffs’ writ on Wednesday to report to the respective locations where they will be locked up.
Dendoe, Dijksteel, Brondenstein, and Gefferie were ordered to report to the Central Penitentiary Institution in Santo Boma and the Penitentiary Institution Duisburglaan.
Reports are that Bouterse was not at home during the summons, and according to the Public Prosecution Service, his roommate refused to accept the summons on two occasions.
Special arrangements for Bouterse
In light of his medical issues and his status as a former president, once served, Desi Bouterse will be confined to a cell on the grounds of the Military Hospital in Paramaribo. This arrangement highlights the unique circumstances surrounding his incarceration.
Desi Bouterse, now 78 years old, had a long and dominant presence in Surinamese politics, spanning several decades.
His departure from office in 2020 marked the end of an era in the former Dutch colony’s political landscape.
Throughout the years, Bouterse maintained that the individuals who were killed had ties to an alleged invasion plot involving the Netherlands and the United States.
