Serge Atlaoui, a French national sentenced to death in Indonesia for his role as a chemist in an ecstasy factory, is set for repatriation following a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and France. The ecstasy factory located in Jakarta had the capacity to produce 100 kilograms of ecstasy pills weekly. Atlaoui has been incarcerated in Indonesia since his arrest in 2005. Despite his appeal against the death sentence being rejected by an Indonesian court, France has agreed to respect the Indonesian court's decision.
The repatriation agreement, scheduled for signing on Friday, January 24, will be executed via video teleconference. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia's senior minister for law and human rights affairs, and Gerald Darmanin, the French Minister of Justice, will formalize the agreement. This move comes after Atlaoui was granted a last-minute reprieve in 2015 alongside seven other foreign prisoners.
Under French law, the maximum punishment for offenses similar to Atlaoui's is 30 years imprisonment, contrasting with Indonesia's capital punishment. The terms of Atlaoui's transfer have been proposed by Indonesia and accepted by France. Atlaoui is expected to return to France on February 5 or 6, where his fate will be determined by French authorities.
"After the transfer, all depends on the French government, whether they want to give him clemency or giving sentences according to the French law," said Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
The agreement highlights the diplomatic negotiations between the two nations and reflects France's commitment to abiding by Indonesian judicial rulings while securing the return of its citizen. The French justice ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Atlaoui's case, which has been a point of contention since its inception in 2005.
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