A woman holding signs reading “Justice and freedom” and “Stop execution!” on April 25, 2015, during a rally near the city hall and cathedral of Metz, eastern France, in support of French national Serge Atlaoui, on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking. PHOTO: AFP
France on Wednesday condemned the executions in Indonesia of seven foreign drug convicts and said it remained concerned about the fate of a Frenchman also on death row in the Asian country.
The government “reiterates its opposition to the death sentence, in all cases and all circumstances”, said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal.
The French authorities “are fully mobilised to help Serge Atlaoui, whose situation remains very worrying”, Mr Nadal said in a statement, expressing his government’s “solidarity” with the countries whose nationals were put to death.
Atlaoui, 51, was originally among the group set to be executed but was unexpectedly granted a temporary reprieve Saturday after Indonesia agreed to allow an outstanding legal appeal to run its course.
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Indonesia would face diplomatic “consequences” if it pushed ahead with the execution of Atlaoui over drug trafficking offences.
In defiance of a storm of international criticism, the Indonesian authorities went ahead early on Wednesday with the execution by firing squad of two Australians, a Brazilian, four Africans and one Indonesian, reports said.
A Filipina woman who was set to suffer the same punishment was however spared at the 11th hour.
Story by AFP
