(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Judges in the December murder trial have been pressured from several sides, including the government, to declare the Public Prosecutor’s Office ineligible to rule on the validity of the Amnesty Act.
Some members of the court-martial even fear their personal safety might not be guaranteed. The International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) cites reliable sources for the facts included in its report issued yesterday on the controversial trial in which President Desi Bouterse along with 24 other suspects stands trial for multiple murders.
The ICJ dispatched an observer to the 11 May session since the incumbent head of state has to stand trial for criminal acts under international law. However, the ICJ considers there is still enough room for a fair trial, despite the pressure. The pressure is built up by the delay created after the court martial’s statement on 11 May, the report states. ICJ representative Jeff Handmaker attended the 11 May session of the court martial. “The judicial institutions in Suriname are urged to live up to their responsibility and issue a statement whether the Amnesty Act violates the Constitution of Suriname and international treaties Suriname is party to.”
The ICJ furthermore emphasizes the importance of a free and impartial media. The organization is impressed by the professional manner in which Surinamese and international journalists record the trial. “The rather fair amount of press freedom is also pleasing.” The jurists’ organization is pleased to see that diplomatic representatives are interested in the trial. Some have even sent observers. “In view of the political dialogue between the EU and Suriname scheduled for today, the ICJ calls on parties to discuss the compatibility of the Amnesty Act with Suriname’s international obligations.”
