Indonesia has received a formal request from France to transfer a French death row inmate who has been imprisoned on drug charges since 2005, a senior Indonesian minister announced on Saturday.
“We have received an official letter on December 19, 2024 requesting the extradition of Mr. Serge Atraoui. This letter was sent on behalf of the French Minister of Justice,” said Indonesia’s Senior Minister of Justice and Human Rights. Yusuru Isa Mahendra told Agence France-Presse.
He added that the request would be discussed “in early January” after the holidays.
Serge Atraoui, a 61-year-old welder, was arrested in 2005 at a pharmaceutical factory on the outskirts of Jakarta, with authorities branding him a “chemist.”
In recent weeks, the Indonesian government has moved to transfer a series of high-profile foreign death row inmates, including Filipino domestic helper Mary Jane Veloso and the last five members of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug gang. agreed. It brings hope to those who remain in prison.
Last month, reports began circulating that France had requested Atlawi's repatriation. Mr. Atraoui was scheduled to be executed in 2015 along with eight other drug offenders, but under pressure from Paris he won a temporary reprieve. Indonesian authorities agreed to let the pending appeals run their course.
The father of four has maintained his innocence, saying he was setting up machinery in what he believed to be an acrylic factory.
He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but the Supreme Court increased the death penalty on appeal in 2007.
Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, and has executed foreigners in the past.
Despite ongoing negotiations to transfer prisoners, the Indonesian government recently announced that it would resume executions of drug death row inmates, which had been suspended since 2016.
The French Embassy in Jakarta declined AFP's request for comment.
with Agence France-Presse
