The Dutch prime minister denounced Suriname's decision to grant amnesty to President Desi Bouterse for crimes committed under his earlier military dictatorship as "totally unacceptable" and recalled the country's ambassador from its former colony in protest.
The amnesty, approved Wednesday night by lawmakers in the South American country, ended a long-running trial for Bouterse and 24 associates on charges of abducting and murdering 15 prominent political opponents in December 1982.
"We consider it totally unacceptable," Mark Rutte told reporters in The Hague. "The law must be allowed to run its course."
The Netherlands also is barring all suspects in the killings from entering the country and vowed to take more action. "We will do everything, internationally together with France, the European Union and other like-minded nations, to ensure that there are consequences and that they are felt by Suriname," Rutte said.
For more: The Associated Press: Dutch recall Suriname ambassador after amnesty
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