24-1-2025 (JAKARTA) A watershed agreement between Indonesia and France paves the way for the repatriation of French national Serge Atlaoui, who has spent nearly two decades on death row in Indonesia for drug-related charges.
The landmark transfer accord, to be inked tomorrow via video conference between Indonesian Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra and French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, marks a significant diplomatic breakthrough in the long-running case.
Atlaoui, 59, is slated to return to French soil by early February, according to Minister Yusril. The Frenchman has been imprisoned since 2005 after Indonesian authorities convicted him of operating as a chemist in a Jakarta-based ecstasy laboratory capable of manufacturing 100 kilogrammes of the illicit substance weekly.
Throughout his incarceration, Atlaoui has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, contending he was deceived into believing he was employed at a legitimate acrylics manufacturing facility. His case gained international attention in 2015 when he narrowly avoided execution alongside seven other foreign nationals, receiving an eleventh-hour stay. A subsequent appeal against his death sentence was rejected by Indonesian courts, exhausting his legal options.
The transfer agreement comes with specific conditions, including France’s acknowledgement of the Indonesian court’s ruling. However, upon his return, Atlaoui’s fate will rest with French authorities, who may opt to grant clemency or apply sentencing under French law, where similar offences typically carry a maximum 30-year prison term.
