EgyptAir hijack: Ex-wife of suspect Seif Eldin Mustafa says their marriage was 'the darkest chapter' of her life
'Most of the media painted a picture of a romantic situation in which a man was trying to reach out to his estranged wife'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The ex-wife of the man suspected of hijacking an EgyptAir flight has described their marriage as the “darkest chapter” of her life.
In an interview published in Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros, Marina Paraschou rejected the idea that Seif Eldin Mustafa hijacked the flight because he wanted to see her.
On Tuesday, Mr Mustafa, who was wearing what is now known to be a fake suicide belt, took 72 passengers and crew members hostage on board the Airbus A320 which was travelling from Alexandria to Cairo.
The plane had to be diverted to Cyprus and Mr Mustafa was arrested following a five-hour standoff on the tarmac at Larnaca airport. Ms Paraschou is from Oroklini, a village in the same district as the airport.
Police prosecutor Andreas Lambrianou said the suspect told police upon his arrest: "What's someone supposed to do when he hasn't seen his wife and children in 24 years and the Egyptian government won't let him?"
Ms Paraschou, who divorced Mr Mustafa in 1990, said: “Most of the media painted a picture of a romantic situation in which a man was trying to reach out to his estranged wife.”
“But that couldn’t be further from the truth and they would have a different opinion if they knew what he was really like.”
She added: “The seven years I was married to him was the darkest chapter in both mine and my family’s life.”
She claimed that when she phoned to tell him of their daughter’s death, he said: “What do I care?”
“I can assure you, he never cared about me or his children, both when he was in Cyprus and after he left.”
Ms Paraschou also claimed Mr Mustafa did not ask to speak to her and that police only requested that she identify his voice.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments