Context
On 25th May 2025, Suriname held general elections, followed by a change of government. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), was elected president by the National Assembly on 6th July and inaugurated on 16th July, succeeding Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
Expression
Journalist intimidated and forced to delete footage following political party congress
On 23rd March 2025, Vishmohanie Thomas, editor-in-chief of Suriname Herald and former chair of the Surinamese Association of Journalists (SVJ), reported that supporters of the General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP) and a member of the Directorate of National Security (DNV) had intimidated her after she filmed an altercation following an ABOP congress.
According to Thomas, party supporters demanded that she delete the recording, and one person took her telephone. Fearing for her safety, she initially deleted the footage. However, a DNV security officer and another individual subsequently accessed her telephone and deleted the material from its deleted-items folder despite her objections. Fellow journalist Widjai Ganesh, who witnessed the incident, corroborated elements of her account in a statement to police. Thomas filed a police complaint against the DNV official.
On the same day, the SVJ condemned the intimidation and interference with journalistic newsgathering, describing the forced deletion of footage as a serious violation of press freedom. The association also pledged to support Thomas in pursuing legal action.
On 24th March, the ABOP apologised and announced an internal investigation, while President Chandrikapersad Santokhi instructed the DNV to investigate the incident. However, on 26th March, Vice-President Ronnie Brunswijk stated that no measures would be taken against the security officer, arguing that no physical violence had occurred. Police investigations were continuing at the time.
Journalists' association warns of political pressure, digital attacks and legal risks
On 3rd May 2025, World Press Freedom Day, the SVJ warned that journalists in Suriname faced political, financial and legal pressures despite the country’s comparatively favourable international press freedom ranking. It referred to the incident involving Thomas and alleged that media outlets including Suriname Herald, SUN News, ABC and Rasonic TV had experienced cyberattacks or organised efforts to remove their online content.
The SVJ also alleged pressure from public officials, citing requests attributed to then-President Chandrikapersad Santokhi to remove publications from the VACO bookshop and de Ware Tijd, and pressure on journalists to change coverage at political events under threat of losing accreditation. It criticised proposals for a media council or code of conduct where these could enable political interference in editorial decisions. These were allegations and concerns expressed by the association, rather than judicially established instances of unlawful censorship.
The association highlighted criminal provisions concerning defamation and insults to public officials, alongside insecure employment, low pay and economic dependence, as conditions that could encourage self-censorship.
In its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Suriname 32nd out of 180 countries, compared with 28th in 2024, giving it a score of 74.49. RSF continued to describe a diverse media landscape in which physical attacks on journalists were uncommon, while identifying concerns about restrictive criminal provisions, occasional intimidation and the economic conditions affecting independent journalism.
Association
Electricity company dismisses trade union leader over social media criticism
On 29th July 2025, the management of state-owned electricity company NV Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS) summarily dismissed Marciano Hellings, chair of the workers’ union OWOS. The dismissal followed a Facebook post published on 22nd July in which Hellings criticised EBS managing director Leo Brunswijk and his statements about the union. According to the company’s account reported by Starnieuws, the language was personally insulting and part of a pattern of derogatory public remarks, including posts from May 2024. Hellings disputed that interpretation, arguing that he had criticised conduct by the management in the course of union activity, rather than personally insulting Brunswijk. He also pointed to a previous dismissal that had ended in reconciliation after mediation.
On 30th July, Hellings announced that he would challenge the dismissal before the Labour Inspectorate. The inspectorate subsequently objected to the termination. It considered that the disputed statements had been made in his capacity as union chair and related to an ongoing dispute between OWOS and EBS. EBS nevertheless submitted an application on 27th August for authorisation to terminate his employment, alleging repeated insults and failures to comply with work-related instructions.
On 25th September, the Dismissal Committee of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labour refused to grant authorisation. It found that EBS had not sufficiently substantiated the grounds for dismissal, after considering the parties’ positions and the protection afforded to trade union activity and related expression. The following day, EBS announced that it would apply to the cantonal court to dissolve Hellings’ employment contract. The company also stated that he would remain employed and continue receiving his salary and medical benefits pending a judicial decision.
Call centre workers establish new trade union
On 8th July 2025, UNI Global Union announced that call centre workers in Paramaribo had formed Vakbond Voor Alle Werkers (B.V.A.W.), a union intended to represent workers in customer service and call centres. The initiative received support from the Dutch union federation FNV and UNI Global Union. According to UNI, the new organisation planned to pursue better remuneration, contractual security, equipment, occupational conditions and professional development opportunities. It also intended to seek affiliation with the Unie van Assertieve Vakbonden (U.v.A.V.), a national trade union federation.
Peaceful Assembly
Rice farmers detained during protest over purchasing prices in Nickerie
On 27th March 2025, rice farmers in Nickerie, a major rice-growing district in Suriname, dumped unhusked rice outside the district commissioner’s office, the local government authority, to protest low purchasing prices and the practices of rice millers. According to media reports, a rice miller had kept farmers waiting for three days before refusing to buy their produce on the fourth day, by which time the rice had deteriorated in quality and lost value.
According to Waterkant, police detained three farmers for allegedly disturbing public order. However, Key News reported that officers had briefly detained all four farmers who participated in the protest before releasing them.
On the same day, the government announced measures to support a purchasing price of SRD 600 per 79-kilogram bag of wet paddy, alongside financial assistance for rice buyers. However, farmers reported that some millers refused to pay the announced price and argued that even this amount would not cover their production costs. On 2nd April 2025, the government approved SRD 70 million in financial support for the 2025 spring harvest and called for monitoring of compliance with the agreed purchasing price.
Transport operators repeatedly mobilise over overdue payments
On 12th March 2025, bus operators providing public transport services to the Nationaal Vervoer Bedrijf (NVB) blocked a road outside the President’s Office in Paramaribo to protest against delays in receiving payments. The operators said they had accumulated more than six months of arrears and accused the government of failing to honour previous payment commitments. Police attended the demonstration. According to ABC Suriname, the operators removed the blockade after the authorities promised a partial payment. However, they remained dissatisfied and indicated that further protests were possible.
On 10th July, NVB bus operators again blocked part of Heiligenweg by parking their vehicles on the road. They said that some operators had gone eight months without payment and faced mounting financial difficulties, including the costs of fuel, vehicle maintenance and household expenses.
On 29th October, bus and boat operators organised another protest over outstanding payments for the second and third quarters of 2025. They initially suspended bus services and parked their vehicles along Heiligenweg before moving to the President’s Office, where they temporarily blocked the road. Representatives of the operators met President Jennifer Simons, who acknowledged the payment delays and said that she had contacted the Ministry of Finance and Planning to arrange a phased settlement. The operators welcomed the meeting while continuing to demand payment. The following day, a representative of the operators reported that the government had made SRD 42 million available towards the outstanding payments.
Residents block roads in Marowijne over prolonged electricity outages
On 30th April 2025, continuing into 1st May, residents near Moengo, in Marowijne district, blocked sections of the East-West Link, including roads towards Moengo and Albina, to protest against recurrent electricity outages. Protesters used vehicles, tyres, branches and other materials to obstruct traffic. Police attended the scene and engaged in discussions with protesters to secure the peaceful removal of the barricades.
On 1st May, state-owned electricity company NV Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS) sent a backup generator to Moengo to alleviate the outages. EBS managing director Leo Brunswijk acknowledged that only one of the four existing generating units was operational and that the ageing equipment needed replacement.
Despite this announcement, residents again blocked the access road to Moengo on the evening of 1st May, demanding reliable electricity and clearer communication from EBS. Residents reported that prolonged outages had damaged electrical appliances, spoiled food and disrupted their livelihoods. Marowijne-Southwest district commissioner Olivia Dominie acknowledged their grievances and defended their right to protest. She confirmed that EBS was rotating electricity supply between neighbourhoods because of defective generating equipment.
Other developments
Court orders registration of two same-sex marriages performed abroad
On 13th February 2025, the Cantonal Court in the First Canton ordered the Surinamese state, acting through the Central Bureau for Civil Affairs (CBB), to register the marriages of two male same-sex couples who had married in Maryland, United States, in 2016 and Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018. The couples had challenged the CBB’s refusal to recognise their marital status, which the agency had recorded as unknown rather than married. The court ordered the state to register their marriages within seven days of service of the judgment, subject to a penalty. It also declared the registration order provisionally enforceable, including pending any appeal.
The court examined Suriname’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights, alongside Articles 105, 106 and 137 of the Constitution. It concluded that registering the two foreign marriages would not contravene public order, notwithstanding the absence of domestic legislation recognising same-sex marriage. However, the court did not establish a general right to marry for same-sex couples in Suriname, emphasising that legislative reform remained the responsibility of the legislature. It also rejected several other remedies sought by the applicants, including compensation for non-material harm.
Juan Pigot of the LGBTQI+ organisation Parea welcomed the judgment and highlighted the need to clarify its implications for other legal rights, including pension entitlements.