Ethiopian Airlines hijacker was co-pilot: police

Daily News Egypt
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Police evacuate passengers on February 17, 2014 from the Ethiopian Airlines flight en route to Rome, which was hijacked and forced to land in Geneva, where the hijacker has been arrested, police said. There were no immediate reports of injuries and in a statement in Addis Ababa Ethiopian Airlines said "the passengers are safe and sound." The hijacker was the co-pilot, according to the Geneva airport where the plane was forced to land. (AFP PHOTO / Richard Juilliart)
Police evacuate passengers on February 17, 2014 from the Ethiopian Airlines flight en route to Rome, which was hijacked and forced to land in Geneva, where the hijacker has been arrested, police said. There were no immediate reports of injuries and in a statement in Addis Ababa Ethiopian Airlines said "the passengers are safe and sound." The hijacker was the co-pilot, according to the Geneva airport where the plane was forced to land.  (AFP PHOTO / Richard Juilliart)
Police evacuate passengers on February 17, 2014 from the Ethiopian Airlines flight en route to Rome, which was hijacked and forced to land in Geneva, where the hijacker has been arrested, police said. (AFP PHOTO / Richard Juilliart)

AFP – The man who hijacked an Ethiopian Airlines flight en route from Addis Ababa to Rome on Monday was the co-pilot, according to the Geneva airport where the plane was forced to land.

The co-pilot said he had seized his chance when the pilot went to the bathroom, Geneva police spokesman Eric Grandjean told reporters.

“He said he felt threatened in his country and wants to seek asylum in Switzerland,” he said.

The man, born in 1983 and an Ethiopian citizen, had contacted Geneva Airport and said “he needed to land to fill the tank. After that he announced the hijacking,” Grandjean said.

“At 6.02 am, the plane landed safely,” he said, adding that the co-pilot had left the plane by scaling down a rope he had thrown out of the cockpit window.

“He didn’t have a weapon with him,” he said, adding that the hijacker would go before a judge Monday.

Technically, he can be charged with “hostage-taking,” and could face up to 20 years in prison, Grandjean said.

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