Co-pilot, Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn might get asylum, after 30 years in prison
Tigrai Onlne - May 13, 2014
The Ethiopian Co-pilot, Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn who hijacked Ethiopian Airlines flight ET702 last February might be granted asylum in Switzerland. The problem is he has to go to trail first for hijacking the Ethiopian Airlines he was co-piloting himself. Potentially he might get a 30 year prison term.
The Ethiopian government asked for his extradition but the request was rejected because a criminal proceeding has started in Switzerland. "We have informed the Ethiopian authorities that criminal proceedings are currently open in Switzerland against the co-pilot. Therefore, the Federal Office of Justice refused the extradition request from the Ethiopians," Folco Galli, Head of Communications, Federal Office of Justice told reporters.
The Ethiopian extremists in the Diaspora praised and celebrated him as a national hero for hijacking his own plane and trying to humiliate Ethiopian Airlines.
The young Ethiopian pilot with a bright future took the wrong turn on his life. No one knows for sure why he would throw all that to end up in jail in foreign land. If he did it for political purposes, we are not sure he achieved anything.
Whether for politics or not he is rotting in jail and he might be there for a long time. "His asylum application will get processed only after 30 years and even then, there are chances that he may not be granted a permanent asylum. But still since he has cited that he fears for his life in Ethiopia, he will get to stay in Switzerland and will end up getting a refugee asylum," Michael Pfeiffer, lawyer for the Swiss Organization for Aid to Refugees said.
We hope those who demonstrated in his support and told he is their hero are visiting him in the Swiss jail.
Source: IBT http://www.ibtimes.co.in/ethiopian-plane-hijacker-may-finally-get-asylum-switzerland-only-after-30-year-prison-term-600120