ECPM welcomes this outcome, as Serge Atlaoui and his supporters have been fighting since 2007 to secure, if not his release, at least the commutation of his death sentence. ECPM thanks the Indonesian authorities for this initiative, which has allowed Serge Atlaoui, as well as Mary Jane Veloso (a Filipino national sentenced to death in 2010) and the ‘Bali 5’ (Australian nationals sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005), to be transferred to their home countries.
Serge Atlaoui’s return to France is a huge relief for ECPM and the whole abolitionist community. The great courage and determination he has shown throughout his years of detention are a source of inspiration and encourage us to continue the fight for the thousands of people still on death row across the world. This transfer is a glimmer of hope, and we hope that he will soon regain his freedom and be reunited with his loved ones.
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, Executive Director of ECPM
A LOOK BACK AT THE FACTS
Serge Atlaoui, a French citizen born in Metz in 1963, was sentenced to death in 2007 by the Indonesian Supreme Court for drug trafficking.
In 2005, while working in Indonesia as an installer of blenders, pumps, and distillation machines at what he believed to be an acrylic factory in the town of Tangerang, west of Jakarta, he was arrested along with about thirty other people following a police raid on the factory premises. The machines he had installed were, in fact, designed to produce MDMA, the active substance in ecstasy.
He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking, both at first instance and on appeal. His sentence was increased when he appealed to the Supreme Court in 2007, which sentenced him to death.
Serge Atlaoui was on the execution list on April 29, 2015, when a request for review was rejected by the Supreme Court. His name was removed from the list at the last minute. This reprieve resulted from a final administrative appeal implemented against the rejection of the presidential pardon. However, his death sentence was not challenged. He remained imprisoned on the Nusakambangan island, in southern Java, until his transfer to Salemba prison in Jakarta in October 2020.
In November 2024, the Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, announced that the Indonesian government would implement a policy for transferring foreign prisoners as part of constructive diplomatic efforts, particularly for ‘humanitarian reasons.’ It was also stated that this procedure would apply to all foreign prisoners whose home countries submit a transfer request. In this regard, the Philippines, Australia, and France submitted requests to that effect.
The French government officially requested Serge Atlaoui’s transfer to France on December 19, 2024. The bilateral transfer agreement was signed on January 24, 2025, and his transfer was scheduled for February 4, 2025.
Upon his arrival in France, Serge Atlaoui will be presented to the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office, which will determine the duration of the sentence to be served in France.
As of today, at least 4 French citizens are still sentenced to death worldwide.