United States Department of State

Suriname United States Department of State

The most serious human rights problem is the unresolved trial of President Bouterse and 22 codefendants for the 1982 extrajudicial killings of 15 political opponents, a trial that exemplifies deeper doubts about judicial independence in the country. Other human rights problems included: police brutality; poor conditions in detention centers; self-censorship by media organizations and journalists; widespread government corruption; violence and abuse against women and children; trafficking in persons; continued lack of recognition of land rights for Maroons (descendants of escaped slaves who fled to the hinterland) and Amerindians; discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons and other minorities; and child labor in the informal sector.