Cyprus extradites Egyptian hijacker who dropped legal fight

An Egyptian man who hijacked a domestic EgyptAir flight in 2016 and ordered it to land in Cyprus has been extradited to his homeland after giving up a drawn-out legal fight, authorities said Sunday.

Seif Eddin Mustafa was transferred to Egyptian custody and flown back to Egypt late Saturday, where prosecutors are investigating the incident. Cyprus Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou told The Associated Press that Mustafa's extradition went ahead after he dropped a three-year court battle to avoid extradition.

Mustafa had challenged extradition on the grounds that he could face torture or an unfair trial in Egypt.

Mustafa hijacked the EgyptAir flight in March 2016 using a fake suicide belt and diverted it to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. A six-hour standoff with Cypriot authorities on the tarmac of Cyprus' Larnaca airport ended peacefully after all 72...