21-12-2024 (JAKARTA) The Indonesian government has received a fresh appeal for prisoner transfer from France regarding death row inmate Serge Atlaoui, who was convicted in a psychotropics case. The matter was discussed during a high-level meeting between French Ambassador Fabian Penone and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra in South Jakarta on Friday.
Minister Mahendra revealed that Atlaoui, who is battling cancer and currently detained at Salemba Penitentiary, made a personal request through French diplomatic channels to serve his remaining sentence in his home country. However, the minister emphasised that this does not constitute an official government-to-government request.
“While we have received correspondence from the French Minister of Justice regarding prisoner transfer, this matter requires thorough deliberation between both governments,” Mahendra stated.
The case differs markedly from the recent transfer of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso, who was successfully repatriated to the Philippines on Tuesday evening. Veloso’s transfer was formally requested by the Philippine Minister of Justice, unlike Atlaoui’s case which stems from a personal appeal.
Ambassador Penone indicated that diplomatic efforts are ongoing to facilitate Atlaoui’s return. “We are working towards establishing the necessary legal framework to progress this matter,” the ambassador said.
Atlaoui, 60, was arrested in 2005 at a clandestine drug facility near Jakarta. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming he was merely installing machinery at what he believed was an acrylic factory, he was initially sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court later enhanced his sentence to death in 2007.
The French national narrowly avoided execution in 2015 when he received a last-minute reprieve while eight other drug offenders were executed. He was previously held at Nusakambangan prison in Central Java before being transferred to Tangerang prison in 2015.
In related developments, Minister Mahendra disclosed that the Iranian government has also approached Indonesia regarding the transfer of more than 50 Iranian prisoners currently detained in Indonesian facilities. The matter has been brought to President Prabowo Subianto’s attention, though no decisions have been made yet.
“We are examining each case individually due to the significant number of prisoners involved,” Mahendra explained, noting that most cases involve narcotics offences. He added that two Indonesian citizens previously imprisoned in Iran have already returned home following clemency from the Iranian President.
