Xinjiang plane hijackers sentenced to death

A court in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has sentenced three men to death and another to life imprisonment for their roles in attempting to hijack an aeroplane in June this year, according to state media.
Ringleaders Musa Yvsup and Arixidikali Yimin were found guilty of leading a terrorist group, plotting the hijacking, and attempting to detonate explosives on the aircraft, the two were sentenced to death. Eyumer Yimin, a “major participant” in the plot was also given a death sentence.
Alem Musa, who played a minor role in the hijacking received a life sentence after he pled guilty and assisted the police in their enquiries.
On June 29th, six people attempted to hijack a Tianjin Airlines flight in the air, they used converted metal crutches to smuggle explosives onto the plane. The terrorists were prevented from blowing up the plane by crew members and passengers, two hijackers died in the fighting, which also injured twenty four of the terrorists’ intended victims.
The court found that the group were influenced by religious extremism.

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