Indonesia cannot follow up on personal requests from inmates, he said, adding that inmate transfers should be carried out via government-to-government arrangements.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government is awaiting a formal request from France for the transfer of Serge Atlaoui, who is serving death row in Indonesia for drug offenses, to his home country.

Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Penitentiary Affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said the government is aware that Atlaoui has asked to be transferred to France due to increasingly frail health.

"(Atlaoui) Has sent a letter to the French government requesting his repatriation so that he can continue his sentence there," Mahendra disclosed at a press conference after a meeting with the French Ambassador to Indonesia, Fabien Penone, here on Friday.

"However, it cannot be treated as an official request from the French government," he added.

Indonesia cannot follow up on personal requests from inmates, he said, adding that inmate transfers should be carried out via government-to-government arrangements.

The minister informed that the prospect of Atlaoui's transfer is quite different compared to the recent repatriations of Mary Jane Veloso to the Philippines and members of the Bali Nine to Australia, which were carried out based on formal requests from their national authorities.

He highlighted that the leaders of the two countries, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, had personally discussed the repatriations with President Prabowo Subianto.

"The requests were then followed up by bilateral talks to reach the practical arrangement signed by me, the Philippine law minister, and the Australian home minister," Mahendra informed in response to ANTARA's query.

Hence, Indonesia will only consider the transfer and make practical arrangements upon receiving an official request from the French government to repatriate Atlaoui so that he can continue serving his sentence in his home country, the coordinating minister stressed.

He also clarified that he did not discuss any agreement draft regarding the transfer while receiving Ambassador Penone at his office. He said that they only discussed legal conditions in the two countries.

Atlaoui was sentenced to death after being found guilty of operating an ecstasy factory in Tangerang, Banten, in 2007. His pleas for clemency to the Indonesian government were repeatedly rejected.

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Translator: Fath Putra Mulya, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Arie Novarina
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