Today, Saturday, 11 April 2024, under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, the United States is announcing the designations of six former Military Officials and former President Desi Bouterse of Suriname as well as Benny Brondenstein, Stephanus Marinus Dendoe, Iwan Dijksteel, Ernst Gefferie, Kenneth Kempes, and Lucien Lewisas extrajudicial killers of political opponents during the 1982 “December Murders.” These people and their four family members are prohibited from entering the United States.

Suriname has earned praise from the US for its dedication to the rule of law as part of its efforts to uphold judicial independence and prevent official impunity. As Secretary Blinken has pointed out, reducing impunity is one of the best ways to stop abuses in the future. The robustness of the legal system in Suriname provides evidence of the importance of the rule of law as a fundamental Principle of Democracy and Human Rights Protection.

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