PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC -The Court of Justice will rule on March 20 whether or not there was a fair trial in which former president Desi Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in jail and four of his associates to 15 years in prison.
Bouterse, 78, who was not present when the Court issued the ruling sentencing him to prison in December last year, has not reported to begin his sentence, and his whereabouts are unknown. Bouterse and his former bodyguard, Iwan Dijksteel, are on the run.
The former military officers and civilians had been charged with the December 8, 1982, murders of 15 men, including journalists, military officers, union leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and university lecturers.
The prosecution had alleged that the men were arrested on December 7 and 8 nights and transferred to Fort Zeelandia, the then headquarters of the Surinamese National Army. They said the men were tortured and summarily executed.
On Tuesday, the Court of Justice heard the appeal to the latest challenge in Chambers, with the lawyers arguing that there was no fair legal process.
They are reported to have asked the Court of Justice to suspend the judgment until this has been investigated in the substantive proceedings. However, the Public Prosecution Service objected to the request.
The three men – Ernst Gefferie, Stephanus Dendoe, and Benny Brondenstein – already serving their jail terms- were at the hearing behind closed doors.
Attorneys Nailah van Dijk, Murwin Dubois, and Milton Castelen told journalists after the hearing that they were optimistic the Court would rule in their favor.
Dubois said they had made “solid arguments” to show that a fair trial had not been conducted.
The lawyers made both oral and written submissions to the Court, which is expected to hand down a verdict in six weeks. a
and then 