EgyptAir hijack: Egypt seeks extradition of hijacker Seif Eddin Mustafa from Cyprus

Egypt has asked Cyprus to extradite its national, who hijacked an EgyptAir plane using a fake suicide belt and diverted it to Larnaca, under a bilateral agreement. General Prosecutor Nabil Ahmed Sadek requested authorities in Cyprus to send 58-year-old Seif Eddin Mustafa to Egypt, a statement by the prosecution said.

The prosecutor said that the request depends on a 1996 bilateral agreement that states that defendants can be exchanged between the two counties.

EgyptAir MS181, on domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo, was hijacked and forced to divert its route to land at Larnaca International Airport by Mustafa who threatened to blow it up with a fake explosives belt.

The hijacker, who officials said was motivated by personal reasons and “psychologically unstable”, was detained after several tense hours at Larnaca airport where the plane was made to land.

Most of the 81 people on board were allowed to disembark after the Airbus A-320 landed except a handful of crew and passengers, until shortly before the hijacker’s arrest. Mustafa was today remanded into Cypriot police custody for eight days.

Egypt also said that the Cypriot authorities have shown in the last hours their swift and professional response in addressing difficult security challenges.