Frenchman on death row in Indonesia leaves jail ahead of transfer home
A Frenchman on death row in Indonesia since 2007 for drug offences left prison on Tuesday ahead of his transfer to France, officials told French news agency AFP.
Indonesia, which has some of the world's toughest drug laws, has in recent weeks released half a dozen high-profile detainees, including a Filipina mother on death row and the last five members of the so-called "Bali Nine" drug ring.
Serge Atlaoui, 61, was driven from Salemba prison in Jakarta to the city's main airport where he will be handed over to French police officers before boarding a commercial flight to Paris.
Due to arrive in France on Wednesday, he will be presented to prosecutors "and most likely detained while awaiting a decision on the adaptation [of his sentence]", his lawyer Richard Sedillot told AFP.
Jakarta has left it to the French government to grant Atlaoui – the only Frenchman on death row in Indonesia – "clemency, amnesty or a reduced sentence".
Humanitarian grounds
"Serge is happy and calm", added Sedillot, "but he is going to need a little bit of time to reorganise himself."
His return was made possible after an agreement between the French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and his Indonesian counterpart Yusril Ihza Mahendra on 24 January.
In the agreement, Jakarta said they had decided not to execute Atlaoui and authorised his return on "humanitarian grounds" because he was ill.
Atlaoui has been receiving weekly medical treatment at a hospital.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
France asks Indonesia repatriation of death row inmate Sergei Atlaoui
France condemns execution of four political prisoners in Myanmar
France pays tribute to Badinter, minister who won fight to end death penalty