Lebanese man held in Greece over 1985 hijacking freed

By Youssef Hussein

BEIRUT (AA) – A Lebanese journalist held in Greece over suspected involvement in hijacking a passenger plane in 1985 was freed, according to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Mohamed Ali was arrested last week on the island of Mykonos, in connection with the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and the murder of a U.S. passenger.

The Greek authorities said the arrest of the Lebanese national was a case of mistaken identity.

Ali was arrested after his name came up on a European police computer system as that of a man wanted by Germany over the hijacking.

A statement by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said German authorities confirmed that Ali was not the hijacker they wanted.

The TWA flight was hijacked on June 14, 1985, shortly after taking off from Athens, where it had stopped en route from Cairo to San Diego.

The hijackers shot and killed a U.S. Navy diver after beating him unconscious. They released the other 146 passengers and crew members on board after an ordeal that lasted 17 days.