Hijack Suspect to Be Held for Two Weeks

A Swedish judge today ordered that a man arrested on suspicion of attempting to hijack a plane should be detained for two weeks while prosecutors investigate further.

The district court judge said that formal charges would have to be made against Kerim Chatty, who was arrested with a gun in his hand luggage as he tried to board a flight to London, by September 16.

Mr Chatty, 29, was arrested on Thursday after the gun was found in a routine check as he prepared to board a Ryanair flight at Vasteras airport, 60 miles from Stockholm. He said he was en route to an Islamic conference in Birmingham.

In addition to facing possible charges of planning to hijack or sabotage a plane or an airport, he may face a secondary charge of weapons possession.

The suspect's lawyer told the court in Vasteras, Sweden, that his client was innocent.

The prosecution had asked for him to be locked up for up to two weeks while it prepares its case against him.

Mr Chatty arrived at court to hear whether or not he would be detained wearing a grey T-shirt, shorts and sandals.

The judge granted a prosecution request for the hearing to be closed to the public.

Police had earlier said that the inclusion of the sabotage charge was a "most serious" development. They said that their case against Mr Chatty had strengthened since his arrest on Thursday.

"The suspicions have been strengthened during the course of the investigation," said a police spokesman, Ulf Palm.

Mr Chatty's lawyer, Nils Uggla, told the court his client admitted having a gun but denied all other charges.

He said his client could explain why he was carrying a gun in his wash bag. He strongly rejected any association with terrorism or plans to crash the plane.

In a fax to the court, the prosecutor, Thomas Haeggstroem, argued that Mr Chatty should remain in custody while formal charges were prepared because of a risk that he might escape or destroy evidence.

Investigators are in contact with foreign authorities and are looking for links between Mr Chatty and overseas terrorist groups.

Mr Chatty's father is from Tunisia and his mother is from Sweden. He converted to Islam "three or four years ago", after attending a flight school in America, his lawyer said.

On Saturday, FBI officials visited a South Carolina flight school attended by Mr Chatty in 1996. He dropped out of the course after a few months.

At least three of the hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks attended or visited flight schools in the United States.

Several passengers aboard the aircraft were evacuated after the gun was found on Thursday.

Police searched the cabin and luggage compartment and the plane took off several hours late without the suspect or other Muslims with whom police initially believed he was travelling. These people were released after questioning.