JAKARTA, Dec 1 — France has formally requested the transfer of Serge Atlaoui, a French national sentenced to death for drug crimes in Indonesia in 2005. Atlaoui, a 60-year-old welder, was arrested in a drug lab near Jakarta, though he maintains his innocence, claiming he was unaware the factory was involved in illegal drugs. Initially sentenced to life, his sentence was later increased to death.

French authorities are in ongoing talks with Indonesia, hoping for his transfer by the end of December. Atlaoui, who has spent nearly 20 years in Indonesian prisons, is currently held in a Jakarta penitentiary. His lawyer expressed hope that the French request would lead to a sentence commutation and transfer. Other detainees, including Philippine national Mary Jane Veloso and the remaining members of Australia’s "Bali Nine," are also in talks for possible transfers.

Indonesia, known for its strict drug laws, currently holds 530 people on death row, including 88 foreigners.