newswatcher
18th Jun 2001, 17:24
Interesting stand-off developing at Amman's Queen Alia airport.
The aircraft landed last Thursday, with Hamas leader Ibrahim Ghosheh on board. Jordan refused him entry, since he was "deported" to Doha from there in 1999, and told Qatari airways that they would have to fly him back to Doha. The captain, Hamad Bedeiwi, refused to allow Ghosheh on board, saying he had strict instructions not to transport him back to Doha.
Jordan accused the Qatari airlines of breaking a 1974 bilateral agreement and international aviation laws by refusing to reboard an “inadmissible passenger.”
According to Article 9 of the Chicago Convention on International Aviation “any inadmissible is a person who is or will be refused admission to a state by its authorities regardless of his or her nationality.”
“Ghosheh will stay at the airport until he returns on board the Qatari plane to Doha,” Rifai said, adding that the aircraft would not be allowed to take off unless the Hamas activist was on board.
A senior official on Saturday said: “We are sticking to our position and we will not retreat even it takes months.” Asked about the situation of the flight crew of the Qatari plan, the official said: “We are not dealing with them as hostages. They can go back any time they wish.”
The aircraft landed last Thursday, with Hamas leader Ibrahim Ghosheh on board. Jordan refused him entry, since he was "deported" to Doha from there in 1999, and told Qatari airways that they would have to fly him back to Doha. The captain, Hamad Bedeiwi, refused to allow Ghosheh on board, saying he had strict instructions not to transport him back to Doha.
Jordan accused the Qatari airlines of breaking a 1974 bilateral agreement and international aviation laws by refusing to reboard an “inadmissible passenger.”
According to Article 9 of the Chicago Convention on International Aviation “any inadmissible is a person who is or will be refused admission to a state by its authorities regardless of his or her nationality.”
“Ghosheh will stay at the airport until he returns on board the Qatari plane to Doha,” Rifai said, adding that the aircraft would not be allowed to take off unless the Hamas activist was on board.
A senior official on Saturday said: “We are sticking to our position and we will not retreat even it takes months.” Asked about the situation of the flight crew of the Qatari plan, the official said: “We are not dealing with them as hostages. They can go back any time they wish.”