JAKARTA, Indonesia — On Tuesday, Indonesian authorities facilitated the departure of Serge Atlaoui, a French national who spent nearly two decades on death row, as he embarked on his journey back to France following an agreement between the two nations.
Atlaoui, who is currently 61 years old and reportedly battling cancer, had been facing execution for drug offenses. However, in 2015, he received a last-minute reprieve from the death penalty, following increased diplomatic pressure from France, as he still had an incomplete court appeal awaiting resolution.
In May of that same year, Indonesia executed eight individuals convicted of drug crimes while Atlaoui was granted a temporary stay of execution. The Indonesian Administrative Court then rejected his final appeal just a month later.
As a father of four, Atlaoui made an urgent request in December for his return to France, asking Indonesian officials if he could serve the remainder of his sentence in his home country. France took action swiftly, leading to the signing of a transfer agreement on January 24 between Indonesia’s senior law minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and France’s Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, paving the way for his repatriation this week.
His legal troubles began in 2005 when he was arrested for purportedly being involved in the production of the psychedelic drug MDMA, known as ecstasy, in a factory near Jakarta. Atlaoui’s defense team asserted that he worked as a welder and was unaware of the illicit nature of the materials he encountered there.
Claiming innocence throughout his years in prison, Atlaoui contended that he believed he was installing equipment at a legitimate acrylics factory. Despite his claims, police categorized him as a “chemist” involved in the drug operation. Initially sentenced to life imprisonment, he faced an upgraded death sentence after a Supreme Court ruling in 2007.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities transported Atlaoui from Salemba Prison to the airport, where he was set to catch a flight back to Paris. His arrival is anticipated on Wednesday morning, although he refrained from speaking to reporters in attendance as he left the prison.
Upon arriving in France, Atlaoui is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence according to French laws, as noted by I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, an official in immigration and corrections. He emphasized that the Indonesian government remains committed to combating drug-related crime.
Atlaoui, dressed casually in jeans, a white shirt, with a baseball cap and mask, was briefly presented to the media at the airport, but declined to comment. The French Ambassador, Fabien Penone, expressed gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his government for facilitating the transfer. When queried about Atlaoui’s future in France, Penone mentioned that French authorities would thoroughly review his case.
According to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, around 530 individuals are currently on death row in Indonesia, primarily for drug offenses, which include nearly 100 foreign citizens. The last executions carried out in the country took place in July 2016.
In December, Indonesia also returned Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who had been on death row and narrowly escaped execution in 2015, following persistent appeals from her homeland. Additionally, five Australian nationals, who also faced long-term imprisonment for heroin trafficking, were sent back to Australia around the same time under a government agreement.
With recent repatriations of foreign offenders, the Indonesian government is now contemplating new legislation regarding prisoner amnesty and transfer, aiming to alleviate the issues associated with overcrowding in its prison system.
