Frenchman Tom Félix, detained for over 900 days in Malaysia in connection with a drug possession and trafficking case, has finally returned to France. He was acquitted by the Alor Setar High Criminal Court, ending a long period of uncertainty during which he faced the death penalty.
A moving welcome at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle
This Thursday morning, Tom Félix landed at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport. Tired but relieved, he was wearing a khaki jacket over a red hoodie and was immediately embraced by his sister and relatives present in the arrivals hall. Speaking to reporters, he said: “Malaysia stole 900 days of my life. The Alor Setar Criminal Court acquitted me (…) in a clear, unambiguous, and unequivocal judgment. I have never dealt drugs.”
A release after a long legal battle
Tom Felix, 34, a former executive with the French company Veolia and a graduate in aquaculture and marine biology, was arrested on August 9, 2023, as he was preparing to open a restaurant on an island in northwestern Malaysia. Tried for drug possession and trafficking, he consistently denied the charges. His acquittal, handed down Tuesday by the Alor Setar High Court, brings to an end 909 days of detention.
A project abruptly interrupted
Before his arrest, Tom Felix He was living in Malaysia to open a restaurant and settle in the country. His promising career in aquaculture and marine biology had been put on hold, while the detention and the accusations weighed heavily on his daily life.
In Malaysia, drug-related offenses are severely punished. Tom Felix risked the death penalty in the event of a conviction. His acquittal therefore represents not only a liberation, but also survival in the face of one of the strictest drug laws in the world.
On his return, Tom Felix appeared "very tired" But he was happy to be reunited with his loved ones. The warmth of the reunion and the end of the legal uncertainty offered well-deserved relief after nearly three years of wrongful detention. His final statement underscores his desire to move on while recalling the injustice he suffered: "I have never dealt drugs."
