Paramaribo, Suriname, Dec 21 :Suriname's highest court on Wednesday upheld a 20-year prison sentence for ex-president Desi Bouterse, who lost an appeal against his conviction for the 1982 killings of political opponents.
The verdict puts an end to the legal saga surrounding the onetime strongman of the small Dutch-speaking South American nation, and fears of unrest proved unfounded.
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.
Bouterse, 78, appealed the verdict and has remained free awaiting the outcome of the case.
Dinesh Sewratan, who presided over the three-member tribunal, said Bouterse had "never expressed remorse and sincere regret."
"It doesn't matter if he pulled the trigger or not," he said, adding Bouterse "had enough opportunity and time" to reconsider the order to execute the opponents, rejecting the former leader's argument that the killings were not premeditated.
According to Suriname law, Bouterse now has eight days to write the country's president to ask for clemency. His legal team also suggested they might ask the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to intervene.
