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Cypriot ex-wife says Egyptian hijacker ‘abusive, dangerous’

EgyptAir plane hijacking suspect Seif Eddin Mustafa flashes the victory sign as he leaves a court in a police car after a remand hearing as authorities investigate him on charges including hijacking, illegal possession of explosives and abduction in the Cypriot coastal town of Larnaca Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Mustafa described as "psychologically unstable" hijacked a flight Tuesday from Egypt to Cyprus and threatened to blow it up. His explosives turned out to be fake, and he surrendered with all passengers released unharmed after a bizarre six-hour standoff. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) EgyptAir plane hijacking suspect Seif Eddin Mustafa flashes the victory sign as he leaves a court in a police car after a remand hearing as authorities investigate him on charges including hijacking, illegal possession of explosives and abduction in the Cypriot coastal town of Larnaca Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Mustafa described as "psychologically unstable" hijacked a flight Tuesday from Egypt to Cyprus and threatened to blow it up. His explosives turned out to be fake, and he surrendered with all passengers released unharmed after a bizarre six-hour standoff. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

By Associated Press March 31, 2016 1 min read

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – The Cypriot ex-wife of an Egyptian man who authorities say admitted to hijacking a domestic EgyptAir flight and threatened to blow it up with a fake suicide belt says her former husband is an “extremely dangerous man” who used drugs, terrorized his family and beat her and their children.

Marina Paraschou rejected media reports that 59-year-old Seif Eddin Mustafa hijacked the Airbus A320 with 72 passengers and crew onboard out of love for her. In an interview published Thursday in the daily Phileleftheros, Paraschou said Mustafa never asked to speak to her and police only asked her to identify his voice.

Paraschou said Mustafa was a “fanatical” Palestine Liberation Organization supporter who bragged about participating in the killing of three Israeli soldiers and was jailed for four years in Syria.

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This version corrects the day of the week to Thursday, not Wednesday.