A Yemeni man was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison on Saturday, 3 February, for hijacking a plane and landing it in Djibouti, news agencies said. Jaber Yehia Ali Sattar hijacked the Yemenia Boeing 727 on 23 January from San’a on a domestic flight, but was overpowered by crew members after it landed in Djibouti. US Ambassador Barbara Bodine, other embassy staff and Abdulwahab al Hajjri, Yemen’s ambassador to Washington were among 91 passengers.
Sattar told the court he was unaware that the US ambassador was on board and said he only wanted to go to Iraq, AP said. Saturday’s court session in San’a was attended by four FBI agents in Yemen, who were helping investigate the bombing of the USS Cole in which 17 sailors were killed on 12 October, AP said.
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