French Court Reduces Serge Atlaoui’s Indonesian Death Sentence to 30 Years

The tribunal in Pontoise commuted the death penalty to a 30-year prison term, aligning with French law after his transfer from Indonesia.

Serge Atlaoui, a French national, was sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2007 for alleged drug trafficking but has consistently denied the charges.
The Pontoise tribunal adjusted the sentence to 30 years in prison, the closest equivalent under French law, as the death penalty was abolished in France in 1981.
Atlaoui was transferred to France last week after an agreement between French and Indonesian officials, citing humanitarian grounds due to his health condition.
His 17 years in Indonesian detention included time on death row, where he endured severe psychological stress, described by his lawyer as the 'syndrome of the death corridor.'
The French court's decision focused solely on adapting the sentence, as it cannot reassess the case's merits, which were finalized in Indonesia.