Ex-dictator tried in Suriname

The trial of Desi Bouterse, the former dictator of Suriname, began last week in Paramaribo, the capital city of the small, Dutch-speaking nation on the northeast coast of South America.

Bouterse, now the leader of Suriname's National Democratic Party, and a potential presidential candidate for the 2010 election, is charged with ordering and personally overseeing the executions of up to 15 political prisoners, known as the "December murders" of 1982.

Eyewitness testimony at the trial confirms his presence at the killlings, though Bouterse denies his personal involvement - yet has expressed acceptance of his "political responsibility" for the killings.

Bouterse has been a leading military and political figure in post-indepence Suriname since 1975, though his history is checkered and includes at least one drug-smuggling conviction.

From Radio Netherlands:

"Bouterse seized control of northeastern South American state of Suriname during a military coup in 1980, five years after the country achieved independence from the Netherlands. He stepped down in 1987 in the face of international pressure and briefly seized power in 1991."

The trial is expected to continue through June, and if convicted, Bouterse faces up to 20 years in prison.

Sources: AFP, AP, Radio Netherlands, Amarillo, Reuters