The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha, reported that the extradition process of Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, the alleged perpetrator of the terrorist attack that downed Alas Chiricanas flight 901 in 1994, is considered a "case of priority".
Martínez-Acha warned that the alleged terrorist holds a Venezuelan passport, which could pose obstacles for Panama to formalize the extradition. Nevertheless, he assured that the Panamanian government will be diligent and they hope to bring Hage Jalil to Panama to be held accountable for this tragic incident.
Martínez-Acha explained that the case is being handled by the Public Ministry and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acts as a diplomatic channel in the process.
Terrorist Attack
The attack occurred on July 19, 1994, when Alas Chiricanas flight 901 took off from Colón airport and exploded a few minutes later. Investigations identified Ali Hawa Jamal as the suicide terrorist who planted the bomb on the aircraft of the Panamanian airline. Hage Jalil was arrested on the island of Margarita in Venezuela, 31 years after the attack that claimed the lives of 21 people, including three U.S. citizens and 12 businessmen from the Jewish community.
