Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The French government has formally requested Indonesia to transfer a French prisoner to his home country. Serge Areski Atlaoui, a France national inmate on death row for drug-related offenses, has been imprisoned in Indonesia for nearly two decades.
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, confirmed the receipt of the request.
“We received the official transfer request for Serge Atlaoui on December 19, 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French Minister of Justice and signed by Stephanie Djian, Head of the International Criminal Mutual Assistance Office at the French Ministry of Justice,” Yusril said, as reported by kumparan on Saturday December 28.
He added that the request would be discussed in “early January” after the holidays. “Due to the current holiday season, we will discuss the request in early January,” he said.
Further discussions regarding Atlaoui’s potential transfer will involve officials from various institutions, including Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office, as well as representatives from the French Ministry of Justice and the French Embassy in Jakarta.
“If both nations reach an agreement, it will be formalized through a practical arrangement signed by ministers representing each government,” Yusril explained.
Drug Conviction and Death Sentence
Serge Areski Atlaoui was arrested in Tangerang in 2005 for drug trafficking. Initially sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2005, he later appealed to Indonesia’s Supreme Court in 2007. However, the court overturned his life sentence and handed down a death penalty verdict. Originally held at Nusakambangan prison, Atlaoui was then transferred to Tangerang Prison in 2015.
In recent weeks, Indonesia has approved the transfer of several high-profile foreign death row inmates, including a Filipina woman and five remaining members of the notorious ‘Bali Nine’ drug syndicate.
While previously on December 20, 2024, French Ambassador to Indonesia, Fabien Penone already met with Yusril at the Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections office in Jakarta to discuss the matter.
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Yusril revealed that Atlaoui’s plea for clemency had been rejected by Indonesia’s president. Atlaoui, currently suffering from cancer, has been transferred to Salemba Prison for medical treatment.
Due to his deteriorating health, Atlaoui, through the French government, has requested to serve his sentence in France. “His medical condition is quite serious, and that’s why he has personally asked the French government to facilitate his transfer,” Yusril stated.
As Indonesia considering the transfer of high profile death row inmate, the Indonesian government is expected to review and discuss the transfer request from France at the start of 2025.
(Raidi/Agung)
