Family of ex-Surinamese president threatens to sue government

PARAMARIBO – The family of former Suriname President Desi Bouterse yesterday threatened to take legal action against the government for publicly disclosing the cause of his death last week.

The Public Prosecution Service, in a press release, said that Bouterse, 79, died from complications of liver failure.

But family members said they became aware of the cause of death through the media, noting that they also found the detailed disclosure of the former president’s health information deeply distressing.

The lawyers for the family, in a letter to Attorney General Garcia Paragsingh, said this disclosure violated medical confidentiality, a punishable offence, and gave a January 2 deadline, which was not met, for a public explanation.

The family also wants a discussion with the Attorney General within a month regarding compensation for the “irreversible damage” caused, adding that failure to comply will result in immediate legal action against the state.

The family’s legal representatives expressed their expectation that these demands would be met, thus avoiding civil court proceedings.

The lawyers argue that the Public Prosecution Service ordered an autopsy, as Bouterse died outside a hospital, to determine if foul play was involved and to establish the approximate time of death.

They contend that releasing private medical information violated principles of good governance, fundamental rights, and professional confidentiality applicable to the Attorney General.

The lawyers further allege that the Attorney General committed a criminal offence under Article 332 of the Criminal Code by deliberately sharing confidential information through a press release. They state that the Attorney General obtained this information from the pathologist and had no legal basis or familial consent to disclose it.

The funeral for Bouterse will take place today, Saturday, January 4. The government has said it will not be a state funeral and that no foreign heads of state will be invited, adding that the government in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country had not yet received any requests from foreign heads of government likely to attend the funeral.

On Thursday night, various artistes paid tribute to Bouterse, who was said to love music and had encouraged artistes to develop their talents.

On February 25, 1980, Bouterse, as sergeant and chairman of the newly established military union, led a coup and deposed the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Henck Arron. The military then established the National Military Council, appointed a new government and suspended the constitution and parliament. The policy under Bouterse’s regime led to what would later be known as the December murders.

Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Court of Justice in December 2023 on appeal for involvement in the murder of 15 people, including journalists, lawyers and human rights activists on December 8, 1982.

The court ruled that although no evidence was provided that Bouterse shot one or more of the victims himself, there was evidence that he gave the order to do so and was in control of the massacre from the beginning to the end.

Following his conviction, Bouterse had been on the run ever since, along with his body guard, Iwan Dijksteel, who had also been sentenced to 15 years in jail. (CMC)

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