US EditionFrenchman given conditional release after years on death row in Indonesia
FRANCE, JUL 18 – Serge Atlaoui’s sentence was reduced to 30 years by French courts after bilateral agreement with Indonesia, leading to his conditional release following nearly 20 years on death row.
- Serge Atlaoui, a 61-year-old French welder, was granted conditional release on July 18, 2025, after nearly two decades on death row in Indonesia.
- In 2005, Atlaoui was taken into custody at a factory located in a suburb of Jakarta, accused of serving as a chemist in a drug trafficking operation; he was first sentenced to life imprisonment, which was later changed to the death penalty upon appeal.
- His execution planned for 2015 was postponed after diplomatic efforts by Paris led Indonesian officials to permit a pending appeal to move forward.
- Lawyer Richard Sedillot called the release "a very great moment" and Atlaoui's wife credited years of French diplomatic efforts for enabling his return to France.
- Atlaoui’s release, followed by adapting his sentence to 30 years imprisonment, underscores the impact of international diplomacy on Indonesia’s strict drug laws.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Frenchman Serge Atlaoui released after years on Indonesia death row
Serge Atlaoui, a 61-year-old Frenchman who returned to France earlier this year after spending almost two decades on death row in Indonesia for drug offences, was released from jail on Friday. Atlaoui was granted a reprieve from execution in 2015 after Paris applied pressure and the Indonesian authorities allowed an outstanding appeal to proceed.
Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, who had been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking – which he has always denied – before being transferred to France in February, will be released on Friday 18 July.
Le Parisien
Le TélégrammeOn Tuesday, the French justice validated the conditional release of the ex-convicted to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking, transferred to France last February.
Frenchman granted conditional release after 18 years on Indonesia death row for drugs
A Frenchman who spent almost two decades on death row in Indonesia over drug offences before being returned to France, has been granted a conditional release, prosecutors said yesterday.
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