MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The state administrative court upheld Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s rejection of clemency for Serge Atlaoui, imprisoned since 2005, BBC said.
Atlaoui, 51, was found guilty in 2007 of trafficking high volumes of hallucinogens and methamphetamines and sentenced according to Indonesia’s harsh penalties for drug-related crimes. The date of his execution has not yet been set, BBC added.
Indonesia reinstated the death penalty for drug-related crimes in 2013, following a five-year moratorium.
Despite widespread international criticism, Widodo maintains that the death sentence for drug-related crimes is needed to fight the country’s rising rate of substance abuse.
Atlaoui’s latest appeal is believed to be the last avenue open to his defense team, but his lawyers will reportedly seek other ways of avoiding the death penalty.
