Cypriot authorities have extradited the Egyptian man who was arrested in 2016 after hijacking a passenger plane in Egypt and then forcing the pilots to fly to Cyprus.

The man is accused of threatening to detonate a bomb belt on board the plane, but it was later revealed that he had no explosives on him. The belt was a dummy.

The suspect surrendered after landing an Egyptian domestic plane in Cyprus with 72 passengers and crew on board. He had demanded the release of female prisoners in Egypt and that he be allowed to meet his Cypriot ex-wife.

No one was physically injured in connection with the hijacking.

The Cyprus Prosecutor's Office extradited the 61-year-old man after receiving guarantees from Egyptian authorities that his trial would follow international criteria for a fair trial.

Source: TT