The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama reported this Friday, March 27, that after securing the approval for the extradition of Ali Zaki Hage, the alleged suspect in the Alas Chiricanas case, the phase for his coordination and eventual judicial process has begun.
This Friday, it became known that the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela declared his extradition to Panama admissible, for his alleged involvement in the terrorist attack against flight 901 of the Panamanian airline Alas Chiricanas, an event that occurred in 1994.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Relations explained that it formally presented Hage Jalil's extradition request to Venezuela in January 2026, complying with the established diplomatic channels between both nations.
«This allowed for the approval of the extradition of the main suspect, which represents a significant advance in the process and opens the coordination phase for his delivery and eventual judicialization,» the Ministry's statement notes.
It is reiterated that Panamanian authorities will continue to work so that the truth is known, responsibilities are determined, and the guilty are punished in an exemplary manner.
The Venezuelan court validated Panama's request based on the following legal pillars: it was confirmed that the imputed crimes (homicide and crimes against collective security) are defined as such in both the Criminal Code of Panama and that of Venezuela.
Furthermore, as it is an act of terrorism (the explosion of an aircraft in mid-flight), the TSJ determined that it is not a political crime, which eliminates common barriers to extradition.
The terrorist attack left 21 dead.
Meanwhile, the Living Consciousness Committee, on behalf of the relatives of the victims of the attack against the passengers of flight 901 of Alas Chiricanas, highlighted the efforts of Panamanian authorities in this case.
«This step represents a moment of great relevance for the victims' relatives and for the involved countries, which for more than three decades have waited for justice to advance firmly in finding the intellectual and material authors of the attack in question,» its statement indicates.
