Cyprus justice authorities Sunday said they handed over to Egypt a 61-year old Egyptian man who hijacked and diverted in 2016 an EgyptAir flight from the city of Alexandria to Cyprus. The 61-year old man will be facing prosecution in the city of Alexandria after the prosecutor ordered his detention for 15 days in custody. The Egyptian man in March 2016 seized a flight of the Egyptian national carrier with 72 people onboard including the crew. Mostafa freed the passengers and surrendered himself to Cyprus security authorities after requesting that all women in Egyptian prisons be liberated and demanding to see his ex-wife living in Cyprus. Cyprus authorities turned down the asylum request after flagging the Egyptian man as “perpetrator of serious crimes.”

Source: The North Africa Journal August 20, 2018 11:37 UTC