Together, let’s save Serge Atlaoui and all prisoners sentenced to death in Indonesia!
Serge Atlaoui was arrested on 11 November 2005 at an acrylic factory which proved to be cover for a clandestine laboratory used for testing chemical products to make ecstasy. Indonesia’s Supreme Court sentenced him to death in 2007 but he has always maintained his innocence. The numerous errors picked up in the procedure mean that we can confirm that he did not have a fair trial. The death penalty handed down by the Supreme Court is unfair, disproportionate and absolutely tragic.
ECPM has been supporting Serge Atlaoui and all prisoners sentenced to death in Indonesia since 2008.
On 25 April 2015, our fellow citizen, Mr Serge Atlaoui, was included on the list of prisoners sentenced to death who would be executed without delay by the Indonesian justice system. He then spent a whole night in his cell, awaiting his turn, hearing his fellow prisoners in the adjacent cells being transferred one by one to their final cell. The mobilisation ECPM had been able to implement at this critical moment led to him avoiding execution. Eight prisoners sentenced to death were shot on 29 April 2015. Although the lives of Serge and a young Philippine national, Mary Jane Veloso, had been saved, they remain sentenced to death and liable to be executed at any time.
Reminder of the facts:
11/11/2005 : Serge Atlaoui is arrested at an acrylic factory which proved to be cover for a clandestine laboratory used for testing chemical products to make ecstasy.
06/11/2006 : Life sentence. Serge Atlaoui has always maintained his innocence.
15/03/2007 : Appeal ruling, confirmation of the life sentence.
29/05/2007 : The Supreme Court increases the punishment to a death sentence without providing a reason for its decision.
30/12/2014 : Request for presidential pardon submitted in February 2014 rejected.
10/02/2015 : Submission of a plea for judicial review.
11/03/2015 : A single hearing is held at Tangerang Court during which Serge Atlaoui is not authorised to present witnesses or experts in his favour.
09/04/2015 : The President of the Administrative Court declares that the Administrative Court is not competent to judge the plea.
20/04/2015 : Plea rejected.
21/04/2015 : The Supreme Court refuses to review Serge Atlaoui’s trial.
24/04/2015 : The Embassies of the various overseas prisoners on the execution list are summoned. The French Embassy is not yet summoned. Serge waits all night, sitting by the door of his cell, waiting for them to come and put him in isolation prior to execution.
25/04/2015 : At midday, the execution notifications are given to the nine prisoners left on the list, in the presence of their lawyers and a consular representative. The French Embassy is not summoned without any reason being given. Serge obtains the possibility of contesting the rejection of his request for presidential pardon at the Administrative Court.
27/04/2015 : The Public Prosecutor announces his intention to execute Serge only once the rejection at the Administrative Court has been recorded.
28-29/04/2015 : 8 other prisoners are executed. The Philippine national, Mary Jane Veloso, is withdrawn from the list of victims in extremis a few hours before her execution.
13/05/2015 : the Jakarta Administrative Court agrees to study Serge’s administrative plea.
22/06/2015 : Jakarta Administrative Court rejects the plea submitted by Serge. Serge Atlaoui’s defence team have since been focusing on other avenues of appeal.
29/07/16 : 4 prisoners sentenced to death, including three foreign nationals, were executed in Indonesia amid scenes of chaos. ECPM continues to pay close attention to developments in the country.
If Serge was executed, he would be the first French national to be executed since 1977.