Sweep it under the carpet_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Sweep it under the carpet

Bouterse is facing a long-delayed trial in Suriname for his role in the slaying of 15 political opponents during his regime in 1982, and some see his candidacy for president as an effort to halt the trial and push for immunity from prosecution.

In 2007, the former military dictator offered his first public apology for the 1982 killings, saying he accepted political responsibility for the deaths but denied involvement.

Bouterse first seized control of Suriname in a coup in 1980, five years after it gained independence from the Netherlands. He stepped down under international pressure in 1987, then briefly seized power again in 1990.

In 1999 a Dutch court convicted him in absentia of trafficking cocaine to the Netherlands, but he has avoided an 11-year prison term because the two countries do not have an extradition treaty.

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said the Netherlands would restrict contacts with Bouterse to “functional necessities.”

“We cannot sweep under the mat the fact that Bouterse has been sentenced to 11 years in the Netherlands for drug trafficking,” Verhagen said. “He is not welcome in the Netherlands unless it is to serve his prison sentence.”

The Dutch Foreign Ministry said Bouterse enjoys immunity as a head of state for the duration of his presidency. “As a result, the sentence can only be served once he has left office and it is possible to arrest him,” the ministry said in a statement.