French national Tom Felix walks with Malaysian immigration officers after he was acquitted on eight drug-related charges at the High Court in Alor Setar on February 3, 2026. HAKIM MUSTAPHA / AFP
A French national facing a possible death penalty in Malaysia on eight drug-related charges was acquitted Tuesday, February 3, freeing him after nearly two and a half years in detention.
The High Court in the northern city of Alor Setar ruled that prosecutors failed to prove that Tom Felix, 34, had control, custody or possession of the drugs in the case. "The accused is, therefore, released and acquitted," Alor Setar High Court judge Evawani Farisyta Mohammad said.
Felix, in court wearing a white shirt and trousers, his hands cuffed, looked visibly pleased as the judge delivered the decision. The former Veolia executive appeared to have lost a considerable amount of weight since his arrest, his parents said.
Jean Luc and Sylvie Felix were seen embracing after the ruling. Felix and his Malaysian business partner were detained in 2023 after police discovered 1.86 kilograms of cannabis in the common area of a home they shared. Authorities later said Felix was also found in possession of 11.7 grams of the drug. He denied all the charges.
