A 65-year-old man has been arrested in Greece over a horrific incident that took place 34 years ago: the hijacking of the TWA flight 847 from Athens, which resulted in the death of a US Navy officer.
According to Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry, the suspect is Lebanese journalist Mohammah Saleh.
He was stopped by Greek police on Thursday during a routine security check, when they noticed his description matched that of a German warrant for the suspect’s arrest over a kidnapping that took place in 1987.
According to police spokesman, Theodoros Chronopoulos, the suspect has so far denied any involvement in the 1985 hijacking.
“He has been remanded in custody on the island of Syros and is to be transferred to a high security prison in Athens,” Mr Chronopoulos told CNN, adding that Greek police are cooperating with German authorities on the investigation.
Meanwhile Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry said that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Gebran Bassil in Athens is following the case and that a charges d’affaires was due to head to Athens on Sunday to meet with the suspect and to offer him consular assistance.
The hijacking took place on 14 June, 1985, on the Boeing 727 aircraft shortly after it took off from Athens on the way to Rome. The hijackers, suspected of having links to Hezbollah, held 100 passengers hostage – some of whom were beaten – before releasing them in stages over two weeks. A US Navy Officer, aged 23, was tied up, beaten and shot dead before being dumped onto the tarmac in Beirut.
The hijackers had requested the release of Lebanese Shia militants who were being held in Israel at the time.
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