Swedish hijack suspect released from jail

A man accused of planning to hijack a London-bound airliner last month was released from custody in Sweden today.

But prosecutors said the investigation would continue into why the suspect had a gun in his hand luggage when he tried to board the Ryanair flight.

Kerim Chatty, 29, was being held on suspicion of planning a hijacking and illegal possession of a weapon.

Chief prosecutor Thomas Haeggstroem had until today to prepare formal charges.

Haeggstroem said there was not enough evidence to continue holding Chatty on the hijacking charge, but the investigation would continue.

“In the last days the suspicions against Kerim Chatty have been weakened and there no longer are probable grounds for the suspicion of planning to hijack,” the prosecutor said.

Chatty, whose father is Tunisian and mother is Swedish, spent four weeks in jail after security officials at a regional airport in Vaesteraas, 60 miles northwest of the capital Stockholm, found a gun in his carry-on luggage on August 29.

He admitted that he had the gun but pleaded not guilty to the hijacking charge.

Chatty told police he was part of a group of people going to an Islamic conference in Birmingham.