Execution appeal is thrown out by court

A French drug convict lost an appeal against his death sentence on Monday, but his lawyers vowed to fight on and prevent another foreigner from facing the firing squad in Indonesia.

Serge Atlaoui, 51, was due to be executed alongside seven other foreign drug offenders two months ago but won a temporary reprieve after Paris stepped up pressure, with the authorities agreeing to let an outstanding appeal run its course.

President Joko Widodo's refusal to grant clemency despite repeated pleas for mercy has strained Indonesia's relations with a number of countries, including Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria, that have had citizens on death row.