Former Surinamese president Desi Bouterse, along with four others, was due to report to a Surinamese prison at 1 p.m. Netherlands time on Friday to start a 20-year sentence for his role in the 1982 December Murders. However, his wife Ingrid Waldring-Bouterse informed journalists on Friday that he would not report to prison. This was reported by the NOS correspondent in Suriname.

In response to questions from journalists, his wife then declared that Bouterse was not at home and that she was unaware of his whereabouts. "I don't know that, I don't know that," she said, according to the Suriname newspaper De Ware Tijd. She added that she had no contact with him. What actions the Surinamese Public Prosecution Service (OM) will take next remains unclear.

There are concerns within the country that his conviction and sentencing might lead to unrest.