French Death Row Inmate Appeals for Transfer as Indonesia Plans Pardons for 44,000 Prisoners
Serge Atlaoui, a 61-year-old cancer patient, seeks to serve his sentence in France while Indonesia's new president announces a historic clemency initiative.
- Serge Atlaoui, a French national on death row in Indonesia for drug-related charges, has formally requested to serve the remainder of his sentence in his home country.
- Atlaoui, who has spent nearly 20 years in prison and reportedly has cancer, was initially sentenced to life before Indonesia's Supreme Court increased his sentence to death in 2007.
- Indonesia's new president, Prabowo Subianto, has announced plans to pardon 44,000 prisoners on humanitarian and rehabilitation grounds, marking a rare use of presidential clemency powers.
- The French government has yet to submit an official request for Atlaoui's transfer; the case is in its early stages, according to Indonesia's law minister.
- Indonesia has one of the strictest drug laws globally, with over 530 inmates currently on death row, including nearly 100 foreign nationals.
Associated Press 
Sky News 