Ex-wife denies Egyptian hijacker ever jailed over politics

Nicosia: A Cypriot prosecutor has tried to cast doubt on an Egyptian hijacker’s defence that his opposition to Egypt’s military-backed government could put his life at risk if he’s extradited.

The hijacker’s ex-wife, Marina Paraschou, testified as a prosecution witness during an extradition hearing on Friday that Saif Al Deen Mustafa had been in jail for most of their nine years of marriage, but that his time behind bars in Egypt, Syria and Yemen was not because of his politics.

Mustafa’s lawyer says his client fears torture or death if extradited because of his political beliefs.

But under cross-examination, Paraschou said that she knew Mustafa worked for the Palestine Liberation Organisation and that he had twice been imprisoned by the Egyptian army for desertion.