He has shown resilience and especially patience. Serge Atloui, 61, has just spent his last 19 years in an Indonesian prison after being sentenced to capital punishment in 2007. He must now return to France on February 4, after an agreement concluded this Friday, January 24 between Paris and Jakarta.
In 2005, then 42 years old, the welder craftsman from Metz, landed near Jakarta to install industrial machines in what he believes to be an acrylic factory. Faced with financial difficulties in France, he had accepted this job for the first time against a salary of 2,000 euros per week. “When I came back [en Indonésie, ndlr]I saw all these chemicals, it made me tick, I told myself that there was something ladle ”he told AFP in 2015, adding that he did not “Never perceived” The money promised.
Atlaoui repairs the water network and the frame of his prison
On November 11, 2005, the police landed, Atlaoui was arrested. He was then accused of possession of dozens of kilos of methamphetamine, ketamine and other substances used for drug production. Based on case law, he thinks he gets around 15 years in prison but is sentenced to life trafficking. In May 2007, the Supreme Court aggravated the sentence: it must be shot, as eight other “network” members. But, Paris intensifying the pressure, the Indonesian authorities agree to let an unanswered call following its course.
After years in a high security prison, in the “Alcatraz Indonesian”south-east of Java, he is detained in a penitentiary establishment in Salemba, in Jakarta. From there, the French, sick, goes to a hospital every week to receive treatment. “Hope is the difference between life and death”in 2015 underlined Atlaoui, who according to Raphaël Chenil-Hazan, director general of the association Together against the death penalty (ECPM) who has supported him since 2007, “Has never lost hope […] Because he thinks first of his family and others ”. “Model prisoner”it was he who restored the water network in his prison and also repaired the frame, adds Chenil-Hazan, who visited him for the last time in November 2023.
Father of four children and married to Sabine, Serge Atlaoui “Is quite exceptional, he has always shown resilience that forces respect”abounds his French lawyer Richard Sédillot.
-Jakarta opens the way
Jakarta had paved the way in early November to possible prisoner repatriations, indicating that they are also in discussion with the Philippines and Australia. On December 19, hope grew up after the transmission by Paris of an official transfer request. Negotiations quickly led to the Philippine Mary Jane Veloso, also sentenced to death, and repatriated to Manila on December 18. The last five Australian members of a group that had nine (the “Bali 9”), in prison for 19 years for drug trafficking, have returned to their country three days earlier.
Serge was “Extremely relieved” The repatriation of Mary Jane Veloso, explains Raphaël Chenil-Hazan for whom “There is a kind of cross destiny between Serge and Mary Jane», 39 -year -old mother, sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking. Atlaoui and Veloso were both on a list of 10 detainees who were to pass the execution platoon on April 2015. Eight were executed but the names of Serge Atlaoui and Mary Jean Veloso were removed from the list at the last moment .
An Australian media had indicated in 2015 that the ex-general Prabowo suffered, then in the opposition, had asked the president of the time Joko Widodo, nicknamed “Jokowi” to stay the executions of foreigners, including that of Serge Atlaoui : putting possible political support in the scale, Prabowo urged Jokowi to “Do not execute nationals of a friendly country”. This intervention by the man who then became Minister of Jokowi then in 2024 his successor to the Indonesian presidency, was confirmed to AFP by a source close to the file, wishing to remain anonymous. Asked by AFP, a spokesperson for the presidency, on the other hand, indicated that he “Do not (not (could) confirm” This information.
