Egyptian man who hijacked plane to Cyprus to be charged with terror

CAIRO — Egypt’s chief prosecutor says a man who hijacked a plane and diverted it to Cyprus in 2016 will face trial on terror-related charges.

Seif Eddin Mustafa, 60, was extradited to Egypt in August after a drawn-out legal battle in Cyprus. Egyptian prosecutor Nabil Sadek says he will face trial on charges of hijacking a civilian plane and taking passengers hostage.

No date has been set for the trial.

Mustafa hijacked a domestic EgyptAir flight in March 2016 using a fake suicide belt and diverted it to Cyprus, where he was arrested.

Mustafa said he did it to protest against Egypt’s government. Cypriot prosecutors say Mustafa later told authorities that his sole motive was to be reunited with his estranged Cypriot family

— AP

In this photo from April 22, 2016, EgyptAir plane hijacking suspect Seif Eddin Mustafa, center, with a t-shirt reading “Cici Killer,” is escorted by Cyprus police officers as he arrives in a court in capital Nicosia, Cyprus. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)

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