Swiss police say an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot who hijacked the plane he was flying, did so in order to claim asylum in Switzerland, <br /><br />The co-pilot took control of the plane, flying from Adis Ababa to Rome, locking the cockpit door while the pilot was in the toilet. <br /><br />Once on the tarmac he surrendered to Swiss authorities. <br /><br />A Geneva police spokesperson said that the co-pilot was born in 1983 and was Ethiopian. <br /><br />Eric Grandjean said, this act was motivated by the fact that he feels threatened in his country and wants to claim asylum in Switzerland.”<br /><br />The hijacker was unarmed and everyone got off the flight safely. <br /><br />Rights campaigners accuse the Ethiopian government of stifling dissent and torturing political detainees.
