Suspected hijacker

last updated 8 January 2015

Vasteras, Sweden

A Swedish citizen with a violent past as an Islamic fundamentalist was detained this week on suspicions of attempting to hijack a Ryanair plane bound for Britain. Kerim Sadok Chatty, 29, was arrested when airport security officials found a handgun in his carry-on luggage. Initial reports cited Swedish officials as saying that Chatty planned to crash the plane into a U.S. embassy in Europe, but the officials later denied that. Chatty, who is half Tunisian and half Swedish, is a convert to Islam. Like some of the 9/11 hijackers, he attended flight school in the U.S. and was a member of the radical Salafi sect. He has served time in prison on weapons and assault charges, but has no reported ties to al Qaida. His lawyer claims that Chatty is a victim of prejudice. “He is Muslim, he is flying, and he has a gun,” the lawyer said. “That makes people draw quick conclusions.”