Atlaoui
Indonesian authorities have completed the Serge Atlaoui transfer to France after 20 years of imprisonment. Atlaoui, 61, who was on death row for drug-related offenses, returned under a prisoner transfer agreement between both countries.
Atlaoui, who reportedly has cancer, left Jakarta on Tuesday and is expected to arrive in Paris on Wednesday morning. Once in France, he will serve the remainder of his sentence under French law.
A Case That Sparked International Pressure
Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 for allegedly working in an illegal drug factory on the outskirts of Jakarta. He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but the Supreme Court increased the sentence to death in 2007.
Authorities accused him of being a chemist in a facility producing MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. He denied the allegations, claiming he was only a welder hired to install machinery at what he believed was an acrylics factory.
The case gained global attention in 2015 when Indonesia executed eight drug convicts despite international appeals. Atlaoui was scheduled for execution alongside them, but France’s diplomatic efforts won him a last-minute reprieve. His final legal appeal was rejected the following month, but his death sentence was never carried out.
A Long Road to Repatriation
In December 2023, Atlaoui wrote to the Indonesian government, pleading to be allowed to serve his sentence in France. Paris responded, and on January 24, senior Indonesian and French officials signed the transfer agreement.
On Tuesday, Atlaoui was escorted from Salemba Prison in Jakarta to the airport. He did not speak to reporters. Dressed in jeans, a white shirt, a baseball cap, and a face mask, he was briefly presented to the media before boarding his flight.
What Happens Next?
French Ambassador Fabien Penone thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his administration for allowing the transfer. When asked about Atlaoui’s future, he said French authorities would reassess his case.
It remains unclear how much of his sentence he will serve in France. Indonesian officials emphasized that the country remains committed to its strict stance on drug crimes.
“The Indonesian government will continue to fight against drugs in our country,” said I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, an immigration and corrections official.
Indonesia’s Stance on Drug Crimes and Prison Transfers
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Around 530 inmates are currently on death row, most for drug offenses. Nearly 100 of them are foreigners. The country last carried out executions in 2016.
The Indonesian government has recently repatriated several foreign inmates. In December, authorities sent home Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who was nearly executed in 2015. That same month, five Australians convicted of heroin trafficking were also returned to Australia.
Jakarta is now considering introducing new regulations on prisoner amnesty and transfers. The aim is to reduce overcrowding in Indonesian prisons, which hold far more inmates than their intended capacity.
Atlaoui’s return to France marks another step in Indonesia’s evolving approach to handling foreign prisoners. However, the government has made it clear that its strict drug laws remain in place.
For now, Atlaoui’s fate rests with the French justice system. His case remains one of the most debated drug-related convictions in Indonesia’s recent history.
