International News
Somali woman jailed over plane hijack attempt in New Zealand
August 28, 2010 · 10 Comments
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – A Somali woman was sentenced to nine years in jail in New Zealand’s first aircraft hijacking case, local media reported on Friday.
Asha Ali Abdille, 36, a refugee from Somalia, had pleaded guilty to the attempted hijacking of a 19-seat aircraft on a domestic flight between the South Island centres of Blenheim and Christchurch in February 2008.
In the High Court in Christchurch, Justice Christine French jailed Abdille for nine years and ordered she serve at least six years before being eligible for parole, the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) reported.
Abdille, a vineyard worker, took three knives onto the plane, using one to cut the pilot on his hands and back, NZPA said.
She demanded the plane be flown to Australia, and when told it did not have enough fuel suggested the pilot fly into the sea. Abdille was overpowered by the pilot and first officer when the plane landed in Christchurch.
Justice French said there were no guideline decisions or sentences because it was the first hijacking in New Zealand, but the lawyers had made submissions about overseas cases in which the penalties ranged from five to 25 years.
The Jetstream planes are used on short-haul regional flights by national carrier Air New Zealand and have only curtains separating the cockpit from the passenger area.
Email this story
Tags: Somali woman jailed plane hijack attempt New Zealand
Readers Comments (10)
Somaliland
Livestock industry benefits from improved food security, provides affordable energy
Photo: Sheikh Technical Veterinary School (STVS) in Sahil region, Somaliland (UNDP) PRESS RELEASE United Nations Development Programme Sheikh, Somaliland, 21 May 2012 –- The livestock industry is the ...
Press Release: SOPRI Somaliland Advocacy Group Relaunches
Press Release on Behalf of SOPRI Washington D.C. – The Somaliland Policy and Reconstruction Institute (SOPRI) has officially re-launched on Friday May 18th at the 2012 ...
Somaliland: DG urges the full utilization of fishery resources
The Director-General at the ministry of fisheries and marine resources Hon Mohamed Elmi Adan urged local fishermen and processors to take advantage of the vast ...
Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship
Overpowering Gratitude Vs Vexing Misgivings By Ahmed I. Hassan Author’s Note: This is the chapter on Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship in a book titled “Somaliland: The Legacies of Non-Recognition” which ...
SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines diverts to Nairobi after security scare in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — A carrier operated by Turkish Airlines left its Somali passengers stranded in the wrong airport after landing in Kenya rather than their intended ...
Your Say
The Abrasive Diplomacy of Somalia’s De-Facto President
The dire warnings of the head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia(UNPOS), Mr. Augustine Mahiga, acting in his assumed capacity as the de ...
- Dr. Abdishakur Jowhar-Franz Fanon of the Somali People
- Somalia: Federalism, Division and The Dual Track Policy
- Somaliland National day – for the sake of a decent life and principle of the future
- Somaliland media: Spreading the word
- SOMALILAND: Where is the Justice in our Justice System?
- Unionist are Dead — Long Live SOMALILAND
- Apprehending Ratco Mladic: a reminder of a war criminal working as jury
- Dr Jowhar: We lost a friend, a Hero
- GEESI LOO HANWEYNAA – A tribute to my hero Dr. Jowhar
- 10 Years after Timor’s Independence, Where Is the Justice?
SOMALILAND: SBi-Coca-Cola Venture an Commercial Diplomatic Coup
OPINION | MAY 23, 2012 The colourful grand inauguration yesterday by Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverages maker, of their modern soft drinks plant in Hargeisa is ...
Why not recognize independent Somaliland?
OPINION | MAY 22, 2012 By Ali Mohamed Twenty-one years ago this month, Somaliland was reborn when the tyrannical regime of Siad Barre collapsed. Since then, the ...
Honestly only allah know what was going through this habo's mind. It is so unfortunate to be locked up for that many years for something that seems really follish. Before anyone lay judgment on this women, try to understand her situation and lack of understanding. Inshallah her time will be easier for her, they let her out early and inshallah she could get on with her life.
To Allah will we return…….
Torasom, you must be kidding or you are naive person who does not understand the criminal minds of many somali people. Just look at her and know that she is up to no good. I am glad she did not take the lives of other innocent people.
if she was in inay of the Arab countires and arrested for the same charges,
she would have been beheaded long ago after prolonged sessions of torture.
Pray for her, but distance yourself from what she allegdly commited. It is Ramadan and your prayers might be heeded.
this habo looks like she is mental unstable, and if she is may Allah forgive her mistake.
Poor refugee woman. God knows what she went through her life as refugee
both inside and outside Somalia all the way across …over to Newzealand.
although her story is inconclusive in this article, there's no doubt that she
must be some kind of a deeply sick woman who must have lived
with lots of damaging harmful traumas. Consequently since this
incident was the first of its kind as unprecedented in NZ and only some 3 knives
which would not bring down a plane and so forth it would seem that
this 9 year jail sentence is unjustifiably too harsh, and therefore the
justices of that country ought to review with some good lawyer to step in for her defence.
I feel sorry for the ordeal she went through and her plight.Cheers.
Can we be objective a put aside our sympathy for this "terrorist" simply because she is somali. How can anyone sympathise and hence condone such actions. It doesn't matter if it was our mothers, auntie's or sisters. Should we be embarresed, definately. But sorry for her?…absolutely not. I hope that she were given more severe sentence one that would make any would be terrorist think again!
What many are saying in simple terms that the cirumstances which led
this poor woman to hijack a plane by a small knife should be reviewed
further by the justices of that country. it's most likely that she might be
a psychogical psychiatric type of person.
Cheers.
hey….is d lady crack 2 do al such type of nuiceance…..she shld b sentenced 4 being jaild 4 at least 20 yrs or so……thanks 2 my gr8 lord"jesus" who has savd d lives of sooo many innocents n made them 2 live their lives again happily……
You kidding me, this women could cause havoc. I am grad she didn't succeed!. I do believe she got mentally ill. Good news is she has know oppurtunity to lose weight in nine years!!.