Hugo Essed, lawyer for the relatives surrounding the December 8 murders in Suriname, is concerned about certain statements made in the past week by some supporters of Desi Bouterse.
Former cabinet director Eugene van der San, in particular, said that a legal dispute has arisen between the convicts and the Surinamese Public Prosecution Service (OM), as a result of which the Court of Justice should first clarify this before the Public Prosecution Service can execute this sentence. He pointed out possible unrest in Suriname if the Public Prosecution Service had the convicts locked up after January 8.
“It is added to this statement that if the capture does take place, there will be war in Suriname. I must say that with these undisguised threats, those voices do not demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law,” Essed said on Sunday in the Welingelichte Kringen program.
He ignores the statement of Van der San and NDP member Marcel Oostburg that there may be errors in the verdict or because the Amnesty Act, declared non-binding by the Constitutional Court in 2022, would still be valid for the convicted.
The lawyer says that he is positive that the NDP has called on the community and party supporters in all official statements to remain calm and not to disturb order and peace. He hopes that this will continue even after the execution of the judgment has taken place.
Monday, January 8 is the last day on which Bouterse and other convicts still have the opportunity to submit a request for clemency. If this does not happen, the sentence may be carried out from January 9. Essed expects that the Public Prosecution Service will keep the community informed on this matter.
2024-01-08 01:00:00
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