The Republic of Surinam might be headed for a military coup / civil war.
On request of the Court of Justice, the military high court ruled this week, that the amnesty that president Bouterse has given himself via a controversial Amnesty Law of 2012, protecting him against persecution for any and all crime, including he December killings, and the smuggling of tons of cocaine, is null and void.
They furthermore have ordered the court case against the president and other suspects of the December killings to be continued as soon as possible.
Officially, the law can only be tested and declared void by a Constitutional court, but Surinam does not have that yet.
Since the formation of the Constitutional court is taking very long, and will take many more years, the military tribunal now decided that it is no longer an option to wait for that, because by then the crimes will have aged to the point of no longer being held accountable in court.
On the 8th of december 1982, fifteen prominent Surinam people were executed in Fort Zeelandia. At that time, Bouterse was the highest in command of the military, and senior statesman, after a military coup. For many years, the bereaved, and with them, the opposition have wanted Bouterse to face charges for this in court.
If Bouterse ever sets foot in the Netherlands, he will be immediatly arrested by the way, regardless of diplomatic immunity. He still has to serve a prison sentence here of 12 years for smuggling many tons of cocaine. He was convicted of that before he became president, so diplomatic immunity does not count.
Too bad he's not dumb enough to make a state visit. Contrary to his son, who got himself arrested in the US for cocaine trafficking.