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Charles Sobhraj in Nepal's capital Kathmandu (in 2011)
Photo:
Navesh Chitrakar / REUTERS
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, portrayed in Netflix series The Snake, is released from prison after nearly two decades.
Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the 78-year-old's release on health grounds.
Sobhraj is to be deported.
Sobhraj, also known as the "Bikini Killer," has admitted killing several people in Asia in the 1970s.
He is linked to more than 20 murders.
He has been in prison in Nepal since 2003 for the murder of two North American tourists.
In 2004 he was found guilty there for the first time in court.
Sobhraj's ploy was to first befriend and trust his future victims before drugging, robbing and killing them.
He used the passports of male victims to travel on.
He was nicknamed "The Serpent" for his ability to assume other identities and evade justice.
According to court documents, the fact that Sobhraj has now been released is also due to the fact that he has served more than three-quarters of his sentence.
According to prison sources, Sobhraj is expected to leave Kathmandu prison on Thursday.
The Supreme Court ordered his deportation within 15 days.
hba/AFP/AP