Two Libyans in court in Malta charged with hijacking flight

Two Libyan men have appeared in court in Malta on charges of hijacking a domestic Libyan flight to the Mediterranean island.

Moussa Saha and Ahmed Ali each entered pleas of not guilty and wore bulletproof vests at their appearance Sunday. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

The hours-long hijacking standoff on Friday at Valletta airport ended peacefully after negotiations. Those on board the hijacked Afriqiyah Airways plane returned to Libya on a different aircraft on Saturday.

Other charges include possession of imitation weapons, using violence against a person on a flight, holding people against their will, making threats of violence and attempting to cause financial or economic instability to a government.

Afriqiyah Airways said the hijackers wanted to go to Rome but ended up in Malta due to fuel limitations.