TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government respects the French government's decision to grant parole to Serge Atlaoui. Atlaoui was a convict sentenced to death by the Indonesian Supreme Court in 2007 for his involvement in an ecstasy production case in Tangerang in 2005.
Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, stated that this decision by the French government follows a French court's reduction of the French national's death sentence to a 30-year prison term.
According to Yusril, this reduction is in line with French criminal law, which stipulates a maximum of 30 years imprisonment for similar crimes.
"This decision paves the way for the French government to grant parole to Atlaoui, considering that he has served 20 years in detention in Indonesia," Yusril explained in a written statement on Wednesday, July 17, 2025.
Minister Yusril and French Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin signed a Practical Arrangement via video teleconference on January 24, 2025. In this agreement, the French government formally acknowledged and respected the Indonesian court's finding that its citizen was guilty of drug production in Indonesia and had been sentenced to death.
Atlaoui's plea for clemency was rejected by the President of Indonesia in 2015, leaving him awaiting execution. However, due to good relations, the principle of reciprocity, and humanitarian considerations, the Indonesian and French governments agreed to repatriate Serge Atlaoui to his home country, as he was suffering from cancer.
The responsibility for Atlaoui's rehabilitation after repatriation falls entirely under the authority of the French government.
"The decision of whether Atlaoui will be executed, pardoned, or have his sentence reduced after repatriation is entirely the prerogative of the French government in accordance with their legal system," Yusril affirmed.
Yusril further clarified that the French government could grant parole because Atlaoui's sentence had been reduced to 30 years. This condition was met after Atlaoui served two-thirds of this reduced sentence, which corresponds to the 20 years he had already spent in detention in Indonesia.
Yusril emphasized that the Indonesian government does not question the granting of parole, as it is in accordance with French law and the bilateral agreement between the two countries.
"Repatriation of convicts between countries is reciprocal in nature. If, in the future, there are Indonesian convicts repatriated by the French government, we can also take similar actions as those taken by the French government in the case of Serge Atlaoui," he stated.
Serge Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 during a raid on an ecstasy factory in Tangerang. He faced a death sentence in 2007 by the Indonesian Supreme Court after his appeal and judicial review were rejected.
His clemency plea was also rejected by then-President Joko Widodo in 2015. Following diplomatic processes and legal cooperation, Atlaoui was repatriated to France on February 4, 2025, under a Practical Arrangement, to serve the remainder of his sentence in his home country.
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