The verdict puts an end to the legal saga surrounding the onetime strongman of the small Dutch-speaking South American nation, but some fear the decision could result in unrest.
Bouterse was not present for the hearing in the capital Paramaribo, which took place with a large presence of security forces outside the court.
In 2019, Bouterse was convicted over the execution of 15 people -- lawyers, journalists, businessmen and military personnel -- in December 1982, two years after he took power following a coup. Читать дальше...